Kidnapped
by Zoe tabbycat
Summary: It had been three days since he had last seen her smile, three days since he had last heard her laugh. Most importantly, it had been three days since he had told her 'I love you', but now, where is she?
1. Chapter 1

Kidnapped Ch.1

_Summary: It had been three days since he had last seen her smile, three days since he had last heard her laugh. Most importantly, it had been three days since he had told her 'I love you', but now, where is she?_

_Disclaimer: I obviously do not own Castle, as much as I wish that I do._

Her body felt like it was on fire.

Every single bone ached, and sharp pains kept shooting through her body. Biting down on her lower lip with her teeth, she struggled to hold in a groan of pain; she was determined that she would not give any signs of weakness. She would not let her kidnappers get the satisfaction of seeing her in pain.

She cracked her eyes opened, and looked around the room. A plate holding a meager amount of food and a small bottle of water sat next to the door, but otherwise, there was nothing in the room, and none of the kidnappers were in sight.

Looking up, she saw a ray of sunlight coming in from a window above her, but her heart plummeted down to her stomach as she realize there was no way she could escape through the windows as bars were installed there. Slumping down, she looked at the food again before tearing her eyes away from it as a wave of nausea over took her.

Feeling cold, she curled herself up into a small ball, crossing her arms in an attempt to preserve body heat. That was when she felt it, a small plastic stick that rested in her pocket, and it was the present that she had promised Castle the last time she had seen him.

_Flashback:_

'_A present? What is it? No, don't tell me yet – let me guess. A new remote controlled helicopter? A new murder board? Oh wait, I know. My very own badge! It is, isn't it?' Castle exclaimed as she rolled her eyes._

'_I married a nine year old on a sugar high,' Kate muttered, as she scribbled her name messily at the bottom of a report._

'_True,' Castle mused, rubbing his fingers on his chin thoughtfully. 'But I am your nine year old on a sugar high.'_

'_Only you, Rick, will turn that into a compliment,' Kate told him, and he grinned._

'_So, what is the present anyway? Seriously?' Castle asked, and Kate raised her eyebrows._

'_That's for me to know, and for you to find out later tonight,' Kate told him, adding the last report to the high stack of completed files. Standing up, she took a long drink from the bottle of water next to her._

'_Does that present involve the bag of sexy lingerie hidden at the bottom of the second drawer at your desk?' Castle asked innocently. Beckett choked on the mouthful of water, and Castle patted her on the back, grinning madly._

'_How did you…?' Kate asked, and Castle shrugged, refusing to tell her. Suddenly, a light bulb went on in Kate's head, and she gave him a hard jab in his ribs._

'_Did you go through my drawers again?' Kate accused, her eyes narrowed. Castle rubbed his rib slightly, and gave a smirk – the one he knew that she could not resist – before sauntering into the break room._

'_Damn that man,' Kate thought as she shrugged on her coat. Her hand slipped into her pocket as she fingered the present for Castle. A smile tugged at the corner of her lips._

'_Rick, I'm heading home now,' Kate called, and Castle poked his head out of the break room, where he was sharing another of his 'man jokes' with Ryan and Esposito._

'_I'll be along in a minute. Why don't you wait for me in the car?' Castle told her, and she nodded. Giving her a quick peck on her lips, he marveled at the fact that she had agreed to become his wife. Even though that had been a whole year ago, it still surprised him at times. 'I'll see you in a minute. I love you,' Castle told her._

'_I love you too,' Kate answered as she headed for the elevator._

_She walked to their car with a little bounce in her step. All she could think of was how they were going to celebrate once she told him. She never heard the quick, light footsteps behind her until it was too late. Blackness was already seeping through her brain, and she fell unconscious._

_End flashback _

She smiled a little as she looked at the positive sign on the pregnancy test. A wave of determination flooded through her, and clutching the test to her chest, she made a silent promise to herself: she would get her child out of this safely, no matter the cost.

The creaking of the door caught her attention, and she looked up instantly, locking eyes with the man who had just entered the room. His emerald green eyes contrasted greatly with the black ski mask on his face, and his movements were relaxed, yet cautious. Closing the door behind him, he turned to face her, the edges of the ski mask curling up slightly as he smiled sinisterly underneath.

'What is in it, Detective?' The man asked, and Kate frowned in confusion.

'I have no idea what you are talking about,' Kate told him, disdain evident in her voice.

'You do not want to make me mad, Detective,' the man warned her. 'I will give you one more chance. What is in the diary?'

Kate's mind whirled and tried to recall a recent contact with a diary-related case that could have led to her being kidnapped. Recalling nothing, she looked at him in the eye and shook her head defiantly without saying a single word. Standing up quickly, the man strode across to her and slapped her hard across her cheek. The sharp edges of the ring on his finger caught her flesh and opened up a ragged wound. Kate cried out as blood spilled from the cut instantly.

'We have eyes on your family, both your husband and your daughter,' the man spat at her as he threw her some surveillance photos of both Richard Castle and Alexis Castle. A chill ran through her veins as she realized that by now, both of them were in danger, but were probably still blissfully, dangerously unaware of that fact.

'Go to hell,' Kate cursed, and he shoved her back against the wall roughly. A small moan escaped her lips as her shoulder came into contact with the wall hard, and the man smiled.

'Not so strong and invincible now, are we?' He asked smugly, slamming the door after him as he exited.

Collapsing into a heap, she finally allowed her tears to flow down her face. The salty liquid stung as it ran across her cut cheek, but it was nothing compared to the pain in her heart. The fear for her own life, her unborn child's life, Alexis's life and most importantly, the life of her husband, Rick Castle. Right now, all she wanted was to be wrapped up in his arms, with him whispering in her ears that everything was going to be alright.

Placing a hand on her abdomen, her stubbornness came back at full force. She could not allow Rick Castle to not meet his own child. She would get through this, somehow, and she would escape with their child unscathed.

* * *

_A/N: I hope you like this story. This is my first time writing a story for Castle, so I'm going to need some help from you all to improve it. Please review and tell me how to make it better. Thank you so much. _

_Constructive criticisms are much appreciated, but no flamers please._

_Special thanks to **Bianca tabbycat** for betaing this story for me._

_Zoe tabbycat_


	2. Chapter 2

Kidnapped Ch.2

Walking into the house, Alexis gently placed her keys in the tray next to the door. Looking around the loft, she found her father asleep on the couch. Walking over to him, she gently took the case file from her father's grasp and set it on the coffee table. Opening the file herself, she felt tears prickling in her eyes.

A picture of Kate Beckett smiled back up at her. Her hazel eyes sparkled and her brown hair tumbled around her shoulders, framing her face. Her lips were curled up into a small grin. Holding back the tears, Alexis closed the file again, and went back to her room.

Collapsing straight into bed, Alexis curled up into the fetal position, hugging the small bear that Kate had given her a couple of months ago. Kate's mother had given the small bear to Kate when she was younger and now, Kate had given it to her.

Tears started falling uncontrollably as her whole body shuddered. Kate had been the first woman that her father dated that she cared for so much. Her father had once said her own mother was more like a 'crazy aunt with a credit card'. Alexis had no idea what that meant when she was younger, but now, she understood. A mother was someone whom you knew that you could always fall back on, and that they would always be there for you. She had been wary of Kate at first, building up her own walls against her, preventing her from getting into her heart, but Kate was a stubborn woman as well. She took down the wall brick by brick until Alexis finally let her in. Kate was not just her stepmother, she was her friend, her sister, and most importantly, someone she loved.

Alexis had been so happy when her father and Kate had finally gotten married. Kate had promised that she would be there for her, but now, Alexis needed her more than anything, and no one knew where she was.

* * *

Opening his eyes, Richard Castle jumped up as he awoke, as he could not feel the case file in his arms. Fearing that he had lost the last thing that connected him to Kate at the moment, he looked around frantically before spotting it on the coffee table next to him. A little weight was lifted off his shoulder for a moment before the reality of Kate's disappearance sunk in again. Unconsciously, he began to rub his silver wedding band, fingering the small inscription of the word 'Always' on it.

He looked around and noticed the small telltale signs that told him that his daughter was home. Getting off the couch, he headed upstairs to his daughter's room, and found her fast asleep on her bed. Her swollen eyes and the tearstains on her cheeks told him that she had probably cried herself to sleep. He looked down the hallway to the bedroom that belonged to Kate and himself. After a moment, he tore his eyes away and headed for the chair next to Alexis's bed. He had refused adamantly to put a foot in their bedroom ever since she had gone missing.

Sitting down on the chair, he took another long look at his daughter. Black rings were forming under her eyes, and she had gotten thinner and paler. Even in her sleep, her legs were twitching, as if she was running away from something. Just then, she began to whimper and moan, and her arms started thrashing around. Shaking her gently, Rick quickly woke her up and she stared up at him, her blue eyes pleading

'Have you found her?' Alexis asked in a whisper, with a hint of desperation in it. It reminded him of the day when Alexis begged to have her mother there for her seventh birthday. In that moment, Rick could see the little girl that was still in there. Shaking his head, he pulled Alexis close, as he hung on desperately.

'I want her back, daddy. I want Kate back,' Alexis told him, calling him daddy for the first time in almost eight years.

'I do too, kiddo. I do too,' Castle answered her, wishing desperately that Kate was right next to him, safe and sound.

* * *

Throwing the phone onto his table angrily, Javier Esposito covered his face with his hands. It had been three days, and they have exhausted every single lead that they have.

He looked at the framed picture on his desk of them all. The photo had been taken at the Old Haunt on Kate's birthday a couple months ago. Kate and Rick had just gotten married, and all of them were smiling at the camera happily.

He had been so happy when Kate finally married Rick Castle. To him, Kate was his little sister, and it was his job to keep her safe and happy.

He had not gone home since they had found out that Kate has disappeared. They had gone over all surveillance footage in the parking lot, and the only image they have of the attacker was a low quality photo of a man with a ski mask on. Her phone records and bank accounts were all triple checked, and her actions leading up to the kidnapping were all thoroughly checked, but there was absolutely nothing in it that gave them any idea of the identity of the kidnapper.

He turned away from the picture and looked at the little evidence that they have gotten from the parking lot once again. A small sound opposite to him alerted him of someone else's presence and he looked up, and found Kevin sitting down on his chair and looking at the photos of the crime scene for the umpteenth time.

'What are you doing here, bro? I thought you went home to Jenny,' Esposito asked, and Kevin shrugged.

'Right now, Kate needs me more. Jenny knows that and told me to come back here,' Kevin answered, his eyes focused on the pictures in front of him.

To Kevin, Kate was his older sister, someone who supported him at all times, and someone that he could talk to about anything. When he was first transferred to the homicide department, Kate had been the one who taught him, and he owed everything to her.

Both heads looking down at the work in front of them, they focused on reexamining the evidence once again, determined to find something that will allow them to bring Kate home safely.

* * *

Lanie wrung her hands together as she walked around the morgue, trying to imagine what she would do to Kate once they found her: slapping her first for making her worry endlessly or giving her a bone-crushing hug. The image of Kate lying on a slab in her morgue crept into her mind, but she pushed the thought out, refusing to accept that for even a second.

She looked at the result sheet in her hand. Kate had come to her four days ago, asking her to run a test. She had been overjoyed when Lanie told her that the test was positive, and that she was going to have a baby. She can still clearly see Kate's excited expression in her mind, and even though she was by no means a religious person, she could not help herself and sent a prayer up to the sky, hoping that it would be answered.

'_Please let Kate and her baby come back to us safely.'_

_A/N: Normally, I would only upload a new chapter on Monday. However, fortunately for you all readers out there, I have to assist in a residential camp on Monday, and there is no internet there, so I decided to upload this chapter earlier. _

_A massive thank you for all of you that reviewed this story. I hope that you will all continue to review this story and enjoy it as well :)_

_As usual, PLEASE REVIEW. Criticisms will be much appreciated, but no flamers please._

_This chapter is dedicated to **Bianca tabbycat** for betaing for me, and to **Project 66 **for reading over the plot for me._

_Zoe tabbycat_


	3. Chapter 3

Kidnapped Ch.3

'You will tell us what is in it,' the man growled as he grabbed Kate by the shoulders and forced her upright into a sitting position.

'I have no idea what you are talking about,' Kate insisted as she tried to block out the pain searing through her right shoulder. She had been trapped here for three days, and after being asked the same question every day, she was getting really annoyed. She closed her eyes, bracing herself for another slap or shove from the man, but to her surprise, he merely chuckled.

'You still won't tell us? Then we'll get them to ask you to tell us,' the man sneered at her, as he tossed a stack of photos in her face. Kate's heart plummeted to her stomach. The subject in the photo was obviously not aware of these photos being taken, and her face had been circled with a red marker in every single photos. It was a thick stack, with at least twenty photos of the same girl – Alexis.

'Don't you dare touch my daughter,' Kate told them, her voice so low that it almost came out as a hiss.

'Then you know what to do. I'll leave you so you can consider the situation you are in, but if you refuse to answer again when I ask you tomorrow, you will never see your little girl again,' the man told her, smirking triumphantly as he realized that he finally had a hold over her.

The door slammed after him, and fear gripped Kate's heart tightly. She had come to love Alexis like her own daughter, and the thought of her being in danger was more than she could bear. Wracking her brains, she began to try to recall every encounter with a diary.

* * *

Castle and Esposito looked up as Ryan ran into the precinct as quickly as he could, with a brown file tucked under his arm. Ryan had gone to the crime lab in the hopes of putting more pressure on them to finish the analysis of any evidence taken from the scene where Kate was taken, while Castle and Esposito had been going over security footages looking for clues on the killer's identity.

'We've got something,' Ryan panted, and the other two men's heads shot up. 'What is it?' Castle asked anxiously. Esposito stared urgently at Ryan, willing him to give them good news.

'The red fragments on the ground? Turns out they are a type of bamboo. Usually, bamboos are green, and they are only painted red to be used as firecrackers,' Ryan told them.

'Bro, it's February. Chinese New Year is just over. These stuff can be found all over the place in Chinatown,' Esposito answered, his brows furrowing.

'Yes, but there's something special about these fragments. There is absolutely no sign of them ever having gone off,' Ryan answered. 'The only explanation that makes sense is that they came from a place where the firecrackers are made from scratch.'

'There can't be many places in Chinatown that does that,' Castle answered, a small spark of hope entering his eyes for the first time since Kate was kidnapped. 'Have you checked how many are there?'

'Already done that. And the best news? There is only one shop that does that,' Ryan told them, handing out a small slip of paper with the address written clearly on it.

* * *

'Captain Gates, how is the investigation for our own detective coming along?' Chief of Detective Michael Key asked as he tapped his fingers on the table impatiently.

'Sir, my detectives have found a lead. They believe that she is being held in a warehouse in Chinatown. They are on their way over now,' Victoria Gates answered.

'Are they absolutely sure? We do not want to tip off these kidnappers in any way at all,' Michael asked, his voice laced with concern.

'My detectives have found some fragments at the place where she was kidnapped. Turns out they came from the production of firecrackers, and there is only one shop in Chinatown that makes their own firecrackers,' Captain Gates answered.

'Good, good. Give me a call when you've got the detective back home safely,' Michael Key requested.

'Yes sir,' Captain Gates answered as she hung up, giving her detectives a signal to get going to the address on the slip of paper immediately.

'They're on to us. We've got to go now,' one of the men exclaimed as he quickly bounded Kate's hands behind her. 'And stay still,' he instructed as Kate began to struggle uselessly against her bindings, and left the room.

Kate's eyes widened slightly as she saw that her pregnancy test had fallen onto the ground in her attempts to escape. As she was dragged out of the room by another person, her eyes lingered on the small stick lying on the floor, and she sent a small prayer up to whoever may be listening, hoping against hope that her child was still safe within her.

Her heart fluttered as she heard murmurs of familiar voices somewhere far away. She knew that it was Ryan, Esposito, and most importantly, Castle. She opened her mouth to try to tell them where she was, but the person next to her was ready. A towel was quickly placed around her mouth, and before she could utter a single word, the chloroform had already done its job, and darkness seeped through her brain.

* * *

'Clear.'

'Clear.'

'It's all clear.'

After the members of SWAT team had confirmed that there was no one in the warehouse, Castle raced into the room. He walked around the house, looked into the rooms and came out, his face disappointed each time, until they reached the room at the end of the warehouse.

A small mattress and a small plate of food with some water sat in that room. Ryan, Esposito and Lanie all filed in behind Castle, looking into the room with an expression of apprehension. The room was in a ghastly condition. Walking over to an abandoned coffee cup that stood on the table right outside the room, she slowly placed her hand on it and shook her head.

'The coffee is still warm. We must have just missed them,' Lanie told them as they all groaned in frustration. All of a sudden, something white that stuck out from under the mattress caught Castle's eye. Walking over, he pulled out the stick and his mouth dropped open as he recognized the stick.

'Lanie,' he breathed, and she walked towards him. When she saw the positive sign on the stick, she knew that she could no longer hide this from him.

'Is she…' Castle started and Lanie nodded. She did not need him to finish his sentence to know what he was asking.

'When?' Castle asked, and Lanie shook her head.

'The day that she went missing,' she answered softly.

'That was what my present was,' Castle murmured sadly, and Lanie nodded.

'I only confirmed her suspicion that morning. She was so happy, Castle,' Lanie told him.

'I need her back, Lanie. I need them both to come back to me,' Castle pleaded, looking at every one of them. His voice started to break as he thought of his family in danger.

'We know, Castle. We'll get her back,' Esposito reassured him. 'She's a strong woman. She will come back, safe and sound.'

_A/N: An update on Sunday evening? You've guessed it, camp tomorrow. So, here you go, chapter 3 of Kidnapped. Next week, you guys will not be so lucky, because I am taking a day camp instead of overnight camp, so I can still wait till Monday evening before updating. -insert evil laugh-_

_Anyway, please read and REVIEW! Typing a review will only take you a couple of minutes, and it will make my day, so I'm looking at you with puppy dog eyes and hoping you will review. You will, won't you? As usual, criticisms are much appreciated but no flamers please._

_Dedicated to **Bianca tabbycat **and **Project66 **for betaing this story and giving me new ideas respectively._

_Zoe tabbycat_


	4. Chapter 4

Kidnapped Ch.4

'Welcome back to the land of the living, Detective Beckett,' a man grinned as she opened her eyes blearily.

'Let me go,' Kate commanded blearily, her voice weak and her mind still groggy with much-needed sleep. The man took a look at her and laughed.

'Forgive me, Detective, but I really don't think that you are in a position to argue or demand anything from us,' the man told her with an amused smile hovering on his lips. Kate fixed a glare on him.

'My friends will find me soon,' she told him confidently, but the man laughed yet again.

'Detective, detective, detective. Don't you know it yet? We know people everywhere. Your detective friends will never find you. The only way that you can help yourself is to tell us what is in that diary,' the man spat at her, any trace of a welcoming façade gone in a spilt second.

'I have no idea what diary you are talking about,' Kate told him coldly, and the man growled menacingly.

'You have a week, detective. If you don't tell us anything about the diary within this week, both your husband and your daughter will die,' he told her, his voice deadly calm and serious.

'Don't even think about putting a finger on either of them,' Kate told him angrily, struggling uselessly against the chains that bounded her to the wall. The man chuckled at her futile efforts.

'Forgive me for pointing out the obvious again, detective, but you are in no place to bargain with us. You have one week,' the man told her. He started to stride out of the room purposefully, but suddenly, he stopped.

'Maybe we should use some incentive to get the diary,' he mused as he turned to look at her, a gleam in his eyes. He walked out of the room and quickly returned with a tripod and a video camera. Setting the equipment up quickly, he sneered at Kate.

'I'm feeling generous today, detective, so I'm giving them a chance to see you,' he said as he switched on the recording device.

* * *

Clicking on another email, Ryan groaned. There had been dozens of incoming messages from people in the other precincts, all keen to know whether there had been any progress on Kate's case. Although the entire twelfth precinct was touched that other officers were also concerned about finding one of their own, it was very irritating to deal with all the emails that were hurled towards them. Ryan scanned the email quickly, expecting to see apologies and condolences from yet another officer, but as he read on, he sat up straighter and straighter. Noticing this, Esposito raised an eyebrow.

'Bro, since when are you so interested in emails from other officers? One of them a love letter?' Esposito made a small joke, and Ryan looked up.

'This is a video of Kate, and it was taken only an hour ago,' Ryan said slowly. Esposito bolted out of his chair and ran into the break room, where Castle was drinking his seventh cup of coffee that day.

Both of them raced back to Ryan's desk, and a stilled frame from the video was on the monitor. Kate's face stared up at them, silent and strong, and Castle's heart skipped a beat at her face. She was unnaturally pale, and was most certainly thinner, with her cheekbones more prominent than before.

Ryan pressed the 'play' button, and the picture of a man in a ski mask stood right in front of Kate. He started demanding to know where 'it' was, and got frustrated when Kate would not answer him. His slaps were clearly seen and heard in the video, and Castle balled his fists tightly, willing himself mentally not to smash the computer, as it would not help at all, and at the same time, trying to figure out what 'it' was.

None of them knew how long they stood there for, watching the video over and over again, hoping for a small clue to jump out of them, that would allow them to find Kate and take her home safely.

'I want to take this home,' Castle told them numbly after what could have been hours, and they both nodded without a single word. They knew that he needed to feel closer to her, and this was the only way that he could do so at the moment.

* * *

Replaying the short video yet again, Castle focused on yet another small part of the screen. That was when he finally noticed something. Kate's index finger was moving rhythmically, as if she was typing a message. Enlarging that part of the screen, he slowed the video down and watched it again. In slow motion, Kate's finger could be seen making long and short taps, looking distinctively like Morse code.

Looking at the video with utmost scrutiny, Castle carefully translated the signals onto paper letter by letter. After the whole video was over, he looked down at what he had written. At the sight of the sentence written there, Castle finally allowed the tears to slide down his cheek in the closed comfort of his own home. His whole body started to shudder as tears wracked through him. It was the first time since Kate was kidnapped that he allowed all those negative emotions to escape out of him.

Alexis was startled when she heard a strange sound coming from the living room. Rushing down the stairs, she found her father with his head in his hands on the sofa, sobbing uncontrollably. She walked over to him, concerned and nervous, unsure of what to do. She had never seen her father cry so hard, and she had no idea of what she could do to help him.

'What's wrong, dad?' Alexis asked gently, knowing why he was crying, but she had no idea what triggered his response.

'She… she was trying to tell me… Morse code…' Castle sobbed out, and unable to say anything more, he pointed to the piece of paper on which he had scrawled a sentence.

Pulling the piece of paper to her, she read what was on it, and looked at the sight of Kate in the video again, her eyes filled with hidden fear and desperation, as if she was almost giving up on ever escaping from the place again. Her heart twisted painfully, as she looked at the sentence once again. Throwing it back on the table, she turned away until she could no longer see the paper even out of the corner of her eye. The four words that her father translated sounded too much like goodbye.

_I love you both._

* * *

_A/N: No residential camp for me tonight, so I update on a Monday. Very fair, yes? Anyway, I hope you guys like this chapter, and I hope that it lives up to your expectations._

_As usual, PLEASE REVIEW. I'm feeling a little down today, and there is nothing like an email notification telling you that you have received a review to cheer me up. Criticisms are much appreciated, but no flamers please._

_This chapter is dedicated to **Project66**. She has just moved back to the States recently, and I am going to miss her terribly. Good luck with your studies over there, and I hope that you will have loads of fun!_

_A massive thank you to **Bianca tabbycat** for betaing this chapter for me._

_And last but not least, a massive thank you to all of you that took the time to read/review/alert/favorite this story. You guys are the reason why I am keen to post regularly._

_Zoe tabbycat_


	5. Chapter 5

Kidnapped Ch.5

Her body felt like it was on fire. The plate of food sat untouched on the floor, staring at her mockingly. She could feel herself getting weaker and weaker, and more often than not, she found herself lying on the small hard mattress in her little cell, unable to find the energy to move a single muscle.

The door to her room slammed open suddenly and she flinched. She wished that she was anywhere but here. She was a strong person, and living in fear did not suit her well at all.

'I'll admit, Detective, your people are good,' the man told her, a small smile dancing on his lips as he stared at her. He could easily tell that they were finally breaking her, and soon, she would have to give them what they wanted. Looking down at the plate of food beside her, he clucked disapprovingly.

'Dear me, detective,' the man told her as he picked up the platter of food. 'We cannot have you starving now, can we? What kind of hosts will we be if we allow that?'

Kate's eyes widened slightly as he made his way over to her with the plate of food in his hand. Her stomach could not handle anything and the thought of food was already making her nauseous. Clutching the edge of the mattress tightly, she forced herself to calm down and look at the man squarely in the eye.

'Let me go,' Kate demanded, glad that none of the tremor or fear she felt appeared in her voice. She had expected some snappy comeback from the man as he always did whenever she told them that, but to her surprise, he merely chuckled.

'Detective, don't you get it yet? Your people may be good, but we are just better. We have someone helping us, someone better than your people. No matter how hard they try, we will always be one step ahead of them. They will never find you,' the man told her pacifyingly, as if he was explaining a simple mathematics problem to a five year old child.

His words allowed her to finally understand how they had known to move her just before Castle and the boys find her. Instead of shocking her, the chilling realization cleared her mind.

'You have a mole in the police department,' Kate stated calmly, and the man nodded, looking pleased.

'I have always known that you are a clever person, and that you would catch on easily. Now, you know what you have to do. Tell us what is in the diary,' the man told her, his voice full of authority.

'I'm glad that you think that I am a clever person. Tell me, why are you so stupid, then?' Kate asked him, her voice completely devoid of any emotions, but her insides were quivering. The man in front of her had shown his temper too many times, and she knew that if she wanted to stay alive, she would have to get out of this place, fast.

The man snarled as he lunged for her. Kate's eyes closed as she braced herself for the impact, but the slap that she was waiting for did not come. Instead, there was a knock on the door, and as she cracked open her eyes, she saw that the man's fist was inches away from her face.

Withdrawing his hand, the man went over to the door, and opened it, revealing another man standing there. They had a quick, hushed conversation, and both of them stepped out of the room, but not before giving her a warning look. They locked the door behind them, and Kate slumped down in relief, glad that she could have a moment of privacy.

Crawling over to the door, she placed her ear against it, hoping to hear more information about where she was.

'_Why would the boss call a meeting now?'_

'_He wants to know what the detective knows. Theodore, have you gotten anything out of her yet?'_

'_Her mouth is tighter than a metal safe. I can't get anything useful out of her at all.'_

'_The boss won't be happy. Meeting's in an hour. We'll leave and drive there in half an hour. You can explain to him why we haven't gotten anything yet.'_

Kate pried herself away from the door and returned to her mattress. Her mind was whirling at top speed. Checking the time on her father's watch that she still had strapped on her wrist, she knew that this would be the perfect opportunity to escape. Pulling her legs up against her chest, her mind began to run through every possible way that she could escape.

* * *

Richard Castle woke up with a strange fluttering in his chest. He looked over to the spot next to him, and for a second, expected to find Kate either still asleep, or blinking up at him with her adorable sleepy expression. To him, these mornings were the hardest. It was when the reality that Kate was not next to him hit him once again, and he knew that the pain would never subside.

However, for some reason, he was feeling strangely optimistic. He swung his legs out of his bed, and as he sat up, he sent the same prayer that he had sent every morning for the past week since Kate had disappeared.

_Please let Kate come home safely._

* * *

The slamming of the door can be heard clearly, and Kate quickly scrambled to her feet. She immediately wished that she had not done that, as she could feel the blood flowing from her feet to her head, making her feel dizzy. Taking a moment to steady herself, she got right to work. She had very little time, and she was determined to get out of this place now. She did not think that she could survive any longer without Castle by her side.

Placing her father's watch on the ground, she stepped on it hesitantly, as she really did not want to break it. However, this was the only method of escape that she could come up with within the short period of time she had. Stomping on it once again, the glass that covered the face of the watch finally broke, and she carefully took out the hands of the watch. Kneeling in front of the door, she started picking the lock. Thankfully, it was an old lock, one that could be easily picked even with her makeshift tools. In a few minutes, she heard the small click that told her that her job was done. Opening the door, she found herself looking at an empty warehouse. The door was only several feet away, and it was only that small piece of wood that separated her from freedom. Taking off her high stilettos, she carried it in her hand, holding it as a weapon.

Creeping carefully from the small room to the door, she was careful not to make any sound at all. All her training from the police academy kicked in, and her adrenaline levels were running high. Her senses were on high alert, and at that moment, she finally felt that she was once again in control of her own body.

The door was locked, but Kate made good use of the watch's hands once again. The door was unlocked in another couple of minutes. She swung the door opened, and the warm sunlight greeted her. She stepped outside, and just as she was about to cross the street to an open diner with a phone she could use, a voice caused her to stop in her tracks and sent a shiver of dread down her spine.

'Just where do you think you are going, detective?' One of the kidnappers smiled at her, his eyes cold and calculating as he aimed a gun at her.

_A/N: Residential camp for me tomorrow once again, so here you guys go, another chapter on a Sunday instead of Monday. Anyway, I hope that this chapter was worth the wait, and yes, the next chapter will tell us whether Kate was successful in escaping. Who knows? I might decide to be evil, and not let her get away just yet. Just ask __**Project 66 **__and __**Bianca tabbycat**__, they know just how evil I can be._

_As usual, PLEASE REVIEW. Criticisms are much appreciated, but no flamers please._

_This chapter is dedicated to __**Bianca tabbycat **__for being the most amazing beta ever, by finishing betaing on the same day that I send this to her._

_Zoe tabbycat._


	6. Chapter 6

Kidnapped Ch.6

Her legs froze up at the sound behind her as she ducked. The man gave a chuckle as he walked closer to her and snatched her arm in his hard grip. A shot of adrenalin coursed through Kate's body and she started to struggle, but the man slapped her sharply, and her struggles slowed as she fell on the ground.

'Let this be a lesson to you, detective,' the man told her threateningly, as he raised his gun towards her head. For the first time, Kate Beckett felt defeat in her body. The man standing in front of her had no ski mask on, and she could see his face, clear as the blue sky over her. His copper-colored skin glinted in the sunlight, and his facial features were all clearly etched in her mind. If she ever escaped, she could easily identify him out of a line-up, but these men would obviously do anything to avoid being caught and brought into custody. Closing her eyes, she braced herself for the stinging pain of a bullet. Images of Castle and Alexis floated through her mind, and she almost smiled; her last thoughts would be of the people who loved her. The cocking of the gun could be heard as she drew in a deep breath – her last one.

The sound of a gunshot resonated throughout the small street, and a scream pierced through the air. A woman living nearby was woken from her peaceful nap by the gunshot and rushed over to the phone, her voice shaking as she reported what she heard.

* * *

'Lanie. What's up?' Javier Esposito greeted as he picked up his phone. His voice was much surlier than usual, and his worry was so dark and heavy that it showed even over the phone.

The leads on Kate's case were getting cold, and they were nowhere near finding her. Esposito and Ryan both looked stressed, but their frustration was nothing compared to Richard Castle's. A whole week without seeing his wife, hearing her voice, or simply knowing whether she was alive or not was taking a major toll on him. Heavy bags under his eyes are now a permanent fixture on his face, and he seemed to have aged years in less than a week.

'Javi, get Ryan and Castle down to the morgue now. There is something that you've got to see,' Lanie told him, no trace of humor in her voice, and he agreed immediately. Something in her voice told him that whatever it was she had to tell them, it was something serious, and it scared her to death.

Quickly getting the other two guys, the three men headed down to the morgue, apprehension lurking in their minds, whispering dreaded scenarios from their previous cases. Lanie was pacing around in the morgue with a sheet of paper in her hands. She looked up as the men entered the room, and she quickly made her way to Esposito. Burying her face in his chest, she allowed the tears to leak out of her eyes and she silently handed the sheet of paper to Ryan and Castle. Scanning the paper quickly, Ryan looked up, his face as white as a sheet.

'Lanie, what is this?' Ryan asked, hoping it wasn't what he thought it was.

'Couple hours ago, a woman heard a gunshot from somewhere near where she lived. When officers arrived, they found some blood on the ground, and a bullet embedded in the pavement. CSU got a hit on the blood. It was Kate's,' Lanie told them, her voice slightly hoarse from tears.

'How much blood was there?' Castle asked, his voice shaking as he voiced out the question on everyone's mind, which no one dared to ask. 'Was Kate… shot?'

'A friend of mine at the crime lab told me that it was a low velocity blood spatter. If she was shot, it would have been high velocity blood spatter. So no. She was not shot. The woman must have heard a warning shot,' Lanie told them. 'There is also only minimal amount of blood on the ground, so she should still be fine.'

'Where is it, Lanie?' Castle asked, a tiny spark of hope reentering his voice.

'193 Brookville Alley,' Lanie replied, as the boys left the morgue quickly, not wasting a single second to get to their newest lead. They were all anxious about being one step closer to find Kate Beckett and her baby and bring them both back home safely.

* * *

'What do you mean she almost escaped?' He hissed into the phone viciously, half-rising from his chair. 'I gave you all the information you need from this side. I led them round in circles. And now I have a report on my desk saying that her blood is found? That those detectives are once again closer to finding her?'

'Sir, she's back with us now. We'll be moving to another location soon, and there will be no mistakes this time,' the man on the other side of the phone answered soothingly. 'There will be no more trouble for you this time.'

'There better not be. And whatever you do, do not kill her yet. We need to know what she knows,' he told them, settling behind his desk once again. 'Also, I believe that the lady is carrying a child.'

'I understand what to do, sir,' the voice on the phone became sinister; there was a new leverage to be used against the detective.

'Remember: keep her and her child alive. They may be our ticket to this,' He told them and quickly hung up.

* * *

Castle stared dumbly at the dark brown stains spattered on the pavement. This was Kate's blood – the liquid that coursed through her veins and kept her alive. When he saw it all over Kate's body when she was shot, that was already more blood than he wanted to see. He shook his head, and tried to clear his head of those nightmarish images, but the harder he tried to push them to the back of his mind, the more they refused to leave.

He took a step back unconsciously, and looked around. The officers at the scene were all looking at him with pity, and he hated it. Esposito came up behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

'We'll find her, bro. This is not like last time,' Esposito told him, his voice firm and reassuring. Castle looked at him gratefully, because unlike the other officers at the scene, he did not look at him pityingly. He looked determined and convinced.

* * *

A groan could be heard from the woman curled up on a mattress in the small room. The man sitting next to her smiled as his hands reached into his pocket and closed around a small bottle. Quickly, he stood up as the woman began to open her eyes.

Kate Beckett's head was pounding, and her hand immediately went over to her still-flat abdomen. Her eyes looked confused as she wondered why she was still alive if she had been shot.

'Let that be a warning shot to you, Detective Beckett. The next time you pull something like this again, you and your baby will both die,' the man told her, smiling as he saw the look of panic that flashed across her eyes as she realized that they now knew about the baby. He pulled out the small bottle from his pocket and handed it to her.

'Would you like some prenatal vitamins? You wouldn't want your baby to suffer, do you?' He asked, smirking.

* * *

_A/N: Well, no more camps this summer, as I have to start getting ready for school again. Therefore, updates will be back to Monday._

_I have been feeling under the weather recently, so I am actually a little disappointed in this chapter, but I promised you all a chapter on Monday, so here you go. As usual, PLEASE REVIEW. Criticisms are much appreciated but no flamers please._

_And yes, I decided to be evil and not let Kate out of their grasp yet. Come on, it is an angst story as well…_

_As usual, this chapter is dedicated to __**Bianca tabbycat**__ for betaing for me, and also, I am dedicating this chapter to a large bunch of new friends that I have met while working in camps. You guys are all awesome._

_Zoe tabbycat_


	7. Chapter 7

Kidnapped Ch.7

All the officers at the scene were standing in a straight line at equal intervals from each other, shining their torches around the place as they started a detailed sweep of the place, looking for any kind of clue that could be at the scene which could bring Kate back to them.

Castle stood with his back to them as he looked at the spot where Kate's blood was found. He had just called Alexis to tell her about the discovery, and the young girl had broken down completely. Castle had been strongly against the idea of allowing his daughter to come out to the scene, but she had begged him over and over again, insisting she had to be there for Kate, until he had finally relented.

Alexis now stood next to Lanie as she grasped her hand for comfort. Lanie had given her a brief hug and tried to reassure her that Kate would be back, but at that moment, Alexis was finding that very hard to believe. She looked over to her father, whose brows were furrowing in a way that Alexis knew – something was not making sense to him. Walking over, she placed her hand on his arm, startling him slightly, but he recovered quickly.

'What is it, dad?' Alexis asked.

'Nothing,' Castle quickly answered, but Alexis's eyes narrowed.

'Dad, I know you. You have that look on your face. The there-is-something-I-should-check-out look on your face. Tell me, what's did you find?' Alexis asked, her hands on her hips.

'There's some yellow smudges over there,' Castle answered slowly, and Alexis sighed.

'Dad, this alley is covered in graffiti. There are yellow smudges everywhere,' Alexis told him, disappointed, but Castle shook his head stubbornly.

'That is not graffiti paint,' he answered, just as Ryan and Esposito jogged back. Alexis walked back over to Lanie, not wanting to be in their way.

'You guys got anything?' Castle asked, and they both shook their head.

'How is it that no one saw or heard anything?' Castle cried out, his voice rising in pitch out of frustration as he kicked a can away from him.

'Bro. In this neighborhood, nobody sees or hear nothing,' Esposito told him. 'If they want to stay out of trouble, they mind their own business.'

'Don't they get it? Someone's life is at stake here,' Castle exclaimed, getting more and more worked up.

'Castle, these people grew up here knowing that if they talk, their family gets hurt. No one here will talk. Have you found anything?' Ryan asked, glossing over the details of what would happen to the people who told the police anything, and effectively change the direction of Castle's thoughts.

'There are some yellow smudges on the wall there,' Castle told them, pointing to the spot where Kate's blood was found.

'Bro, look at all the graffiti around here. Yellow smudges are everywhere,' Esposito told him, repeating Alexis's words from earlier.

'They're not. When I was younger, I did a lot of… research on graffiti paint, and they do not smudge out like that,' Castle told them, his voice confident, and Ryan frowned.

'Research?' Ryan asked. 'How old were you when you participated in this 'research' of yours?'

'When I was 15, but that's not the point. The point is, that is not graffiti paint. Look at it carefully. It is on top of that blood drop,' Castle told them.

'That would mean it got there after Kate's blood got on that wall,' Ryan said slowly as Esposito hollered for CSU to take a sample to run tests on it.

'Exactly,' Castle answered, and a small smile found itself on his face for the first time since Kate had gone missing.

* * *

A light bulb went off in Kate's mind as her eyes spotted a pink ribbon lying on the floor. She finally knew what the men were asking her for. The pink leather book found at the crime scene a week before she was kidnapped was not a diary. It may greatly resembled a diary, but the only thing in it were pages and pages of alphabets that no one at the precinct could make sense of. Kate had smiled when she saw the book. At the corner of each page, there were two letters marked there with a typewriter.

To Kate, a typewriter was something that she connected with her mother. Whenever she was sick as a child, her mother would sit with her and watch reruns of Temptation Lane, over and over again. Kate loved that show so much that her mother used a typewriter to transcribe the episodes into a book for her, so she could read it when she was not watching it.

She stood up triumphantly, as she finally felt that she had, once again, regained control of the situation. She knew what they were after, and only she knew what was in it. However, questions began attacking her mind quickly as she began to wonder why anyone would kidnap her just to find out what was in a little pink book.

Passing by a cracked, dust-covered mirror, Kate turned to look at her appearance in it. She had lost quite a bit of weight since her imprisonment, and her skin was unusually pale. Her cheekbones were more pronounced than ever and the bags under her eyes were obvious. Lifting up her now worn shirt slightly, she traced a finger over where her baby would grow into a beautiful, healthy child.

'Hi, baby,' Kate murmured, warmth glowing from her eyes and her smile. 'How are you doing in there?'

'Very nice indeed,' a voice shook her out of her reverie, as the sound of slow clapping and a mocking tone dragged her back into reality. 'Very nice indeed, detective, or should I say… Mother?'

'Leave me alone,' Kate ordered, and the man shook his head.

'I told you: you tell me what we want to know, we'll let you go your way,' the man told her.

'And I told you, I don't know what you're talking about,' Kate bluffed, fear weighing her down like lead.

'No food for you tonight, and we'll see if your answer changes tomorrow,' the man smiled before making his exit. The click of the lock was heard, and Kate sat down once again.

Kate knew that they were never going to let her go. Once she told them what she knew, she would be useless, a burden that would only make things more difficult. Besides, they no longer wear a mask, and she could see and remember their faces clearly. What self-respectable criminal shows a cop how they look like when their identities are unknown? It all points to one conclusion – she is going to be killed once they have all the information they need. Lying was now her only method of defense. Groaning softly in realization, she curled her legs up and placed her palm over her abdomen.

'I really hope you can meet your father and sister, little one. I really do,' Kate murmured as sleep began to take her once again.

_A/N: Ta da, another chapter for you all to enjoy. I know that this chapter came out a little later in the day than usual, but please forgive me. My dog had to have an operation, and he had to stay in a hospital. He was very anxious and on the edge there, so I stayed with him at the hospital for the whole day until my mother finished work and took over, so I cannot update earlier._

_Also, I had a review asking me to update more than once a week, and I am considering updating every Monday and Thursday instead of just Monday. What do you all think of it? Tell me in your reviews please, and I will decide._

_As usual, PLEASE REVIEW. Criticisms are much appreciated but no flamers please._

_Zoe tabbycat_


	8. Chapter 8

Kidnapped Ch.8

A cheerful whistle pierced through the tense atmosphere at the precinct, and Castle sucked in a breath as two familiar faces came into sight. Jim Beckett and Martha Rodgers had both returned from a cruise that they have enrolled in together. Neither of them was aware of the current situation, as they have been completely unreachable.

At the sight of her son, Martha's face broke into a relieved smile and she went over and embraced him warmly, her familiar scent calming Castle down slightly.

'Mother, Mr. Beckett. What are you two doing here?' Castle asked, trying to put on a convincing jovial tone.

'Now, now Richard, I know you said not to come here, but Jim and I haven't seen you and Katherine in almost a month. Where's Katherine?' Martha asked, smiling, still completely clueless of what had happened in the past month.

Castle's smiled faltered as he grasped desperately in his mind for a reasonable excuse for Kate not to be at the precinct at the moment, but he could find none. Jim Beckett knew his daughter very well, and lying to him would do no good. Castle stared at the ground as he continuously came up with ideas and rejected them, feeling Jim's eyes on his back.

'Rick? Where is my daughter?' Jim Beckett asked. His tone was not accusatory, only slightly worried.

'I think you should both sit down,' Castle started as the two people standing in front of him sat down. He looked at them squarely in the eyes, and his shoulders slumped as he got ready to try to form the words in his mouth.

'Kate was kidnapped over a week ago,' Castle told them, his voice grave. 'And up till this moment, we have no idea where she is.'

* * *

'Tell us, detective. Tell us what is in the diary,' the man growled at her, the knife in his pocket winking at her threateningly.

'No,' Kate answered stubbornly. 'I know nothing about it.'

Shaking his head, the man pulled back as he glared at her. 'You've been more of a troublesome charge than an asset, detective, and we will not put up with this any longer.'

'I told you. I do not know anything,' Kate insisted, and the man reached into his pocket. Kate flinched as his hand touched the knife, but to her surprise, he pulled out a mobile phone.

'You can have one phone call, detective. One phone call to say your goodbyes. I suggest you use it well,' the man told her, pulling her close and dangling the knife at her throat. 'You say anything against us, and your child will die.'

Closing her eyes, Kate sighed deeply. She could not see any way out of this situation, and she knew that this would be the last time she ever heard Rick's voice again. Taking the phone from the man's outstretched hands, she dialed the familiar number, and tentatively held the phone to her ear, waiting for the line to be connected.

* * *

'We got it,' Ryan panted as he ran into the precinct, waving a piece of paper in the air. He stopped short when he saw Jim and Martha sitting there, a look of shock and fear on their faces, and Castle sitting opposite to them. He turned around, intending on going back out of the room, but Castle stood up and snatched the paper from his hands.

'What's this?' Castle asked.

'The CSU report on that yellow smudge found at the scene. Looks like all those of 'research' on graffiti paint paid off, Castle. You were right. Those weren't graffiti paint smudges. They're curry powder,' Ryan told him, finger quoting the word 'research'.

'Then she must be kept in an old curry factory or warehouse,' Castle exclaimed, jumping off the chair.

'Any ideas on why would a killer pick a curry factory?' Esposito asked, grinning slightly as he recognized the look Castle had on his face. It was his typical 'I-have-a-crazy-idea' expression.

'The CIA's favorite lunch is curry; no, wait, I know. Curry was a brand of alien food, and they were mad that the humans stole it, so they decide to take one of us hostage. Oh, that's good,' Castle muttered to himself. His mood has obviously lifted when Ryan told him that they were heading for a curry factory. Shrugging on his jacket, he noted the look of skepticism on the two detectives' faces.

'What?' Castle asked. 'Why are you two just standing there? Let's go get Kate back.'

'Uh, Castle, we don't know which brand of curry this is,' Esposito told him. 'CSU couldn't identify the exact brand.'

Castle's phone began ringing in that exact moment, and he fished it out of his pocket impatiently. He glared at the phone screen, expecting it to be from his ex-wife and publisher, Gina, but his eyes widened immediately and he set the phone down on the table.

'It's Kate,' Castle whispered, fear and excitement laced in his voice.

The table was a flurry of activity afterwards. Esposito began to yell at another officer to start a trace on the incoming call while the rest of them huddled around the table, becoming silent as Castle pressed the green button.

'Kate, is that you?' Castle asked, and he let out a small breath as her voice answered.

'Rick? I'm sorry. I'm so sorry,' Kate cried, and Castle's heart broke a little at the sound of voice. At that moment, she sounded like a young girl, desperate for some comfort and some safety.

'There's nothing for you to be sorry for, Kate,' Castle told her gently. 'Everything's going to be just fine.'

'I'm sorry that you won't get to see the baby,' Kate sobbed, as all the emotions that were pent up from her kidnapped burst forth, and tears ran down her cheeks. She knew by now, that Lanie would have told Castle about the baby. Although Castle could not see it, he could hear her sniffles, and his heart completely broke.

'I will, Kate. We'll get to see this baby together,' Castle told her, his voice determined.

'I love you, Rick. Tell Aunt Caroline that I'm sorry that I cannot have her curry anymore,' Kate told him, and Castle's senses tingled. They had just discovered that the smudge was a curry stain, and now Kate was talking about curry? That was a hell of a coincidence.

'Kate, this is not goodbye,' Castle insisted forcefully.

'Rick, tell my dad, Martha and Alexis that I love them,' Kate told him. 'Goodbye, Rick.'

'Kate, don't hang up. Please don't hang up,' Castle pleaded, but a small click signaled the end of their conversation.

'Did you get anything?' Esposito snarled at the officer responsible for tracing Kate's cell phone.

'No, the call was too short,' the officer informed Esposito, who punched the wall in annoyance. He turned around, intending to discuss the next action with Castle, but he found him staring at the phone in his hand, tears falling.

'Castle, bro, what's wrong?' Esposito asked.

'I didn't tell her I love her. She told me that she loved me, but I didn't tell her,' Castle whispered, guilt evident in his voice. 'I never told her I love her.'

'Castle, she knew. She knew that you love her,' Ryan reassured him.

'Mr. Beckett, does Kate have an aunt named Caroline?' Rick asked suddenly, whirling around to look at him.

'No. Neither Jo nor I have any siblings named Caroline,' Jim answered slowly. 'Why do you ask?'

'Just now, she told me to say that she was sorry that she could not have her Aunt Caroline's curry anymore,' Castle answered, and Ryan looked up immediately.

'Did you just say Aunt Caroline's curry?' Ryan asked, and Castle nodded.

'Yeah, that's what she said. Why?' Castle asked.

'Caroline's Curry used to be pretty famous in New York, until about 3 years ago. Caroline had died and she did not leave the business to anyone, so her children closed it. The business probably had a warehouse to store their curry powder,' Ryan answered, and Esposito was already pulling up information regarding the warehouse on the computer.

'I've got it. Caroline's Curry had a warehouse in East 72nd between Broadway and 10th. Nobody bought that warehouse, and it is now an abandoned building. No one uses it.

'How would Katherine know about it?' Martha asked, and Castle looked up.

'There's a boutique next to that warehouse that she and Alexis both loved. They were both there just two weeks ago,' Castle answered. 'She must have recognized where she was and given us a clue.

'Go,' Jim told the three men as they looked at him and Martha, wondering whether they should take them home first. 'We will not be leaving until she is found.'

Martha nodded her head in unison 'I'll talk to this new captain of yours and inform her where you've all headed.'

Shrugging on their jackets, the three men hurried out of the door, anxious for this to be the time that Kate was brought back to them safely.

* * *

The sick sound of a sharpening knife could be heard, and a shiver ran through Kate's spine. She knew she had lost, and there was no way she would get out of this alive. All she hoped for now is for Castle not to see her body in a mangled mess.

Walking into the room, the man held the sharp knife up and smiled sinisterly. The edge of the knife glinted from the light, and Kate turned away.

'Last chance, detective. What was in the diary?' the man asked.

Kate knew that if she did not tell them anything, she would die, but even if she told them, she would still die. Better to let them worry about the contents of the diary even if she could not make it out of this ordeal. She shook her head, knowing she had sealed her fate.

'Pity, detective. You are a beautiful girl, but you just don't know when to stop poking your nose into things that are none of your business. Sweet dreams,' the man told her. He placed the knife at her throat and began to trace a line. Crimson red liquid dripped down slowly, but surely.

* * *

_A/N: I am so mean, leaving at a cliffhanger like this, but if I go on, this chapter will exceed 2,000 words, and I really want each chapter to remain between 1,000 and 2,000 words, so I decided to cut it short here._

_Since many of you reviewed and asked for 2 chapters a week instead of 1, I decided to update every Monday and Thursday as opposed to only Mondays. I hope that this decision will make you all happy._

_This chapter is dedicated to __**Bianca tabbycat**__, for being a fantastic beta, and to __**Project66**__, in celebration of the official ending of our tough exams._

_As usual, PLEASE REVIEW. Criticisms are much appreciated, but no flamers please._

_Zoe tabbycat_


	9. Chapter 9

Kidnapped Ch.9

Striding into the precinct purposefully, Captain Victoria Gates looked around, but she could find no sign of any of her detectives or Mr. Castle being there. Although she was often harsh on Castle, deep down, she had a soft spot for him when she saw how good he was for all three detectives in the homicide department. After seeing him at the precinct without fail for two weeks, it was oddly strange and discomforting not seeing him next to Kate Beckett's desk, staring into thin air.

'Excuse me, who are you both?' Gates asked the older man and woman in the spot where Castle usually sat. She was certain that she had not seen them before, but they seemed oddly familiar.

'I'm Martha Rodgers, and this is Jim Beckett,' Martha announced, and Captain Gates could immediately see the resemblance between the two of them and their children.

'Mr. Beckett, Ms. Rodgers, what can I do for you today?' Victoria Gates asked, her voice immediately softening. Being a mother herself, she could tell that the case greatly affected Jim Beckett, his hands were shaking noticeably and he could not seem to form a single word.

'The two detectives and Richard have asked me to inform you that they have found another lead in this case, and that they were off to check it out,' Martha told her.

'They should have told me personally. This is protocol,' Gates said, slight indignation laced in her voice.

'They found something on my daughter, Captain Gates, and I want my daughter back. So when they found the lead, they'd better damn well get there immediately, and not waste time sitting around waiting until you can come back, just to tell you that they found a lead. We are telling you now; isn't it the same?' Jim Beckett answered harshly, but softly.

'I understand, Mr. Beckett. However, these protocols are there to ensure the safety of our detectives –' Gates tried to explain, but Jim cut her off once again.

'My daughter is a detective, Captain Gates, and at this moment, she is not safe at all. To hell with the protocols, the three of them are trying to bring her back to safety,' Jim told her.

'Mr. Beckett, look at it this way. If something happened, and I have no idea where they are, how am I to send backup when necessary? Knowing their location is essential for me to do so,' Gates told him.

'They told us to give you their location. They're heading for East 72nd between Broadway and 10th. There's an old curry warehouse where they believe that Kate is being held,' Martha told her quickly, and Gates nodded.

'Very well, then,' Gates answered as she headed back into her office. Looking at the thick stack of paperwork, she realized that some of them had to be completed immediately. Looking at the phone, she shrugged as she started on the urgent paperwork, resolving to call the Chief of Detectives after she had dealt with this 'crisis'.

* * *

The three men sat in the car nervously, with a long tail of police cars following them from behind. All of them had a grim expression on their face, and their Kevlar vests were strapped on properly and tightly.

'We will get her back this time,' Esposito declared, but a slight hesitation made it sound more like a question.

'She would not slip through our fingers again,' Ryan agreed, and looked at Castle.

'I will see her and the baby tonight,' Castle answered, hoping against hope that this would come true.

'Bro, we will find her. Wait, isn't that her?' Esposito exclaimed as they pulled up at the warehouse. A young woman who looked unconscious was being loaded onto a car, and that woman in question looked exactly like the person that they have been looking for in the past two weeks.

'Antonio, I thought that you just got the call from him,' a man yelled furiously as the police car began to pull up.

'I did, but does that matter right now? Let's go,' the man called Antonio bellowed as they leapt into the car themselves and began to drive off.

'They're getting away,' Ryan whispered, and Esposito immediately floored the gas, the wheels screeching as it started accelerating quickly.

'They will not get away,' Esposito declared, and this time, there was no doubt at all in his voice. The training he had in Special Ops kicked in, and at this moment, he felt calm, and in control.

The police cars fanned out from behind them, going in different directions in hopes of blocking the car off, and the Avalanche that held Castle, Ryan and Esposito raced after the silver sedan.

'Antonio, they are never going to let this go,' the man told him, and Antonio slapped him across the cheek.

'Shut up, Carlos. The lady is not dead yet. Just keep going for a little longer,' Antonio answered.

'Why did we have to take her, anyway? Why not just leave her there?' Carlos asked.

'You really have an IQ of a snail, Carlos. She is not dead yet. Thus, she is still a threat,' Antonio answered as they ran through another red light, Looking at the rearview mirror, he scowled as he saw how close the Avalanche was getting.

'Get her out of the car,' Antonio told him.

'What?' Carlos asked, dumbfound. Antonio had just told him that they need her dead before they could let her go, and now, they were just letting her out?

'Which word of 'get her out of the car' do you not understand?' Antonio asked him, sneering.

'You just said…' Carlos started but Antonio cut him off.

'I know what I said. Unless you wanted to be caught by the cops, I suggest you do what I say,' Antonio told him savagely.

Opening the door, Carlos pushed Kate out of the car and closed the door once again.

Screeching to a halt, Esposito, Ryan and Castle ran out of the car, no longer caring about the car that they were chasing. All they cared about was that Kate was there.

'Kate, Kate, please wake up, wake up please, Kate,' Castle pleaded, his eyes desperate.

His large hands immediately covered the gash on her neck, where blood was still dripping.

'Someone get the EMTs here now!' Castle yelled, and Esposito looked at him.

'They're on their way,' Esposito told him, quickly dialing another number, demanding whether other police cars could see the silver sedan in which the kidnappers had escaped.

'Make them come now,' Castle screamed to no one in particular as he took a long look at Kate.

She was a lot thinner than when he last saw her 2 weeks ago, and the blood loss from the cut on her neck made her extremely pale. Despite the cuts, the bruises and her pale pallor, she was still the most beautiful person in the world to Castle.

The paramedics arrived quickly, but Castle absolutely refused to leave her side. One of the paramedics knelt down on the pavement next to him. "Sir," he asked, "What happened to her?" The paramedic's hand quickly found its way to Kate's pulse in her wrist.

"She – she was kidnapped," Castle said, his face anxious as he looked at the paramedic. "Does she have a pulse?"

For that moment, everyone held their breath.

_A/N: A quick note for y'all; since I can't ever remember Gates having met Martha and Jim, I chose to assume that they have never come face to face. If anyone can remember otherwise, please tell me in the reviews._

_As Cymrus64 said so, I really do love my cliffhangers, so here's another one for you guys to enjoy. I hope that you like this chapter, and I hope that this could (somewhat) ease your tension from the last chapter._

_As usual, PLEASE REVIEW. Criticisms are much appreciated, but no flamers please._

_This chapter is dedicated to __**Bianca tabbycat **__for being an awesome beta._

_And in reply to one of the guest reviewers, I chose for Kate not to talk about the mole because she still had no idea who it was, and that she knew that her phone could be traced, so she would only have a moment, and she could only choose from one of the many things she could hint about. _

_Zoe tabbycat_


	10. Chapter 10

Kidnapped Ch.10

'The pulse is there. It's weak, but it's there. We need to get her to a hospital now,' the EMT declared and everyone let out a sigh of relief.

'Sir, you have to let go,' another EMT told Castle, pushing him away from Kate, but Castle clung on tightly, refusing to let her be taken away from him again.

'That's my wife, and my baby,' Castle yelled at him desperately, hoping that the EEMT would understand and allow him to stay with his family.

'She's pregnant, sir?' The EMT asked. 'How far along is she?'

'I – I don't know. She was going to tell me the night she was kidnapped, but she – she never got the chance to,' Castle murmured dejectedly.

'Thank you, sir. You've done all you can, please let go,' the EMT told him, and the Castle tightened his hold on Kate once again.

'She's my wife, do you understand, she's my wife. And that's my baby there, too,' Castle shouted, and the EMT looked at him sharply.

'Then let us do our job and save your wife and your baby,' the EMT said, and Castle let go of her hand reluctantly.

'Sir, if you want to, you can ride with her,' the EMT told him, feeling sorry for the poor man. It was obvious that he was not doing well being separated from her and that the woman on the stretcher seemed to be reacting well to his presence. Even in her unconscious state, the EMT could feel her trying to reach the source of that voice.

Castle looked at the detectives and they gestured to him impatiently. 'Go ride with Beckett. We'll be right behind you,' Esposito told him, turning his attention away from his phone momentarily and Ryan nodded.

Jumping onto the ambulance, the door shut behind him firmly. The sirens began wailing, and the ambulance began to move astonishingly quickly. The EMT took out a small, strange device and began to move it around Kate's abdomen.

'What are you doing?' Castle asked, his eyes never leaving Kate's pale face.

'I'm trying to find the fetal heartbeat. From the looks of it, I'll say that she's ten weeks pregnant, so there's a chance that we can hear it,' the EMT answered, moving the wand around.

Castle immediately fell silent and his hands unconsciously grasped Kate's hand tighter. His eyes fell on the hand of the other EMT who had his hand pressed against Kate's wound on her neck, minimizing the lost of blood from the wound. After all these physical assault to the mother's body, was the baby even still alive?

A strong whooshing noise filled the ambulance, and everyone relaxed a little. Castle sat there, mesmerized by how a simple sound could fill him with such hope and joy. He looked down, and a pang of disappointment filled his heart that Kate could not enjoy hearing the baby's heartbeat with him for the first time. But for now, it was enough to know that both Kate and the baby were alive.

Before he knew it, they had reached the hospital. The EMTs quickly rushed the gurney into the emergency room, and Castle rushed in after them.

'Sir, you need to stop here. No one apart from the operating team is allowed behind those doors,' a nurse told him as she blocked his way while Kate was pushed through the heavy, swinging doors.

He was about to rush in regardless of what the nurse told him, but just then, Alexis rushed into the room, her eyes frantic as she searched for a person who could give her the comfort and reassurances that she so desperately craved.

'Dad,' Alexis gasped, launching herself into his embrace. 'Did you find Kate? Is she and the baby alright? Where are they?'

'Pumpkin, pumpkin, slow down,' Castle told her, interrupting her torrent of questions. 'Yes, we've found Kate. The doctors are working on her now.'

'But Kate will be alright, won't she?' Alexis asked.

Castle looked into Alexis's eyes, and at that moment, her expression was scared and vulnerable, but determined nonetheless. She wanted to hear that her stepmother was going to be okay, but she would not be lied to.

'I hope so, pumpkin, I really hope so,' Castle murmured into her hair, fighting the tears that were threatening to fall at the mere thought of her not being alright.

* * *

'Thank god the cut missed her carotid artery,' a surgeon muttered to himself as the nurses around him bustled about in a hurry. 'Someone give her two more units of blood.'

He took a look at her and memories flooded through him. He had seen her at the hospital multiple times. It could be something as simple as a cut on her body, or something as severe as a bullet in her chest. He had seen enough to see that she was a tough girl, and he was not going to be the one that allowed her to leave the world just like that.

He carefully stitched the wound up, but he knew that this was going to leave another scar on her. A pang of sadness shot through his chest as he knew how the scar was gong to affect her. His sister had been through something similar and he knew that the scar would be a constant reminder of what happened to her. Every morning, when she looked into the mirror, it would be like reliving the whole experience again.

'Thank you, everyone,' the doctor said as he placed the needle into the tray that the nurse held out for him. Everyone in the room smiled as he lifted his headlamp off his head, signaling the end of another operation, another life saved. The nurses began to redress the wound on her neck and arrange for her to stay under observation in a hospital room.

Walking out into the room, the doctor looked around the people in the waiting room. 'Family of Katherine Beckett – Castle?' He called.

Castle, Alexis, Esposito and Ryan jumped up immediately. After comforting his daughter, Castle had talked to his father-in-law and mother and convinced them to wait in the loft for more information, as they were obviously exhausted after the cruise. After plenty of promises that he would call them as soon as they knew something, the two reluctantly agreed to the arrangement.

'I'm her husband,' Castle told the doctor, who nodded. 'How is she? Is the baby fine?'

'The cut in her neck was pretty deep, and she lost quite a bit of blood, but fortunately, the cut just missed the carotid artery, so she didn't bleed out. We've stitched up the cut and repaired the ligament in the neck during surgery, and it was a success,' the doctor told him, watching as relief wash over their faces.

'So she'll wake up soon?' Castle asked excitedly.

The doctor bit his lip. No matter how many times he had done this, he still hated to be the one who had to give bad news to the patients' family. Shaking his head slightly, he gave them all a sympathetic look.

'Unfortunately, due to the loss of blood, she had slipped into a coma. We have no idea when she will wake up,' the doctor told them, dropping the bombshell reluctantly.

'What – what do you mean? Can you give us a time frame?' Alexis asked, her voice quivering slightly.

'It depends on the mental strength of the patient. She could wake up tomorrow, a week later, a year later, or…' the doctor trailed off. Everyone could fill in the blank: _or never. _Castle looked at him angrily, his hands balled into fists.

'She will wake up, do you hear me? She will wake up,' Castle shouted, looking around. 'She will. She's Kate Beckett – Castle; she will.'

* * *

_A/N: Ta da, another chapter. I debated whether to make the end of this chapter to be a slight cliffhanger, or a full-blown one, but seeing that you guys have already suffered through two full-blown ones, I decided to make this a minor one._

_Thanks for all your reviews telling me that yes, Gates has met their parents, but for the sake of the story, let's just pretend she hadn't, shall we?_

_Those of you who reviewed will already know this, but the reason behind me not knowing was that my mother has decided that I watched too much TV, so she confiscated my Castle DVDs, but thankfully, with the last chapter as leverage (and that I did well in my exams), she finally gave them back to me, so all is well._

_As usual, PLEASE REVIEW. Criticisms will be much appreciated, but no flamers please._

_This chapter is dedicated to __**Bianca tabbycat**__ for being an awesome beta._

_Zoe tabbycat. _


	11. Chapter 11

Kidnapped Ch.11

She laid back against the sofa, her eyes closed and a peaceful expression on her face. Her hand draped naturally but protectively around her bulging stomach, protecting the little one from the evil that lurked in all corners of the world.

He sat down next to her quietly and began to trace a finger over her stomach ever so gently, where their unborn child rested in her womb. Her eyes fluttered sleepily as she woke up from the small movements, and a smile curled on her lips.

'I thought you were at a meeting?' she asked, and he grinned at her.

'Couldn't get out of there quick enough. I miss two of my three favorite people,' he told her childishly, sticking his tongue out to emphasize his point. 'How have you been?'

'Cookie has been kicking up a storm. He'd just allowed me to take a break and sleep,' Kate answered. 'I'm so tired.'

Her eyes began to drift shut again, and her head rolled forward. Castle sat up straight. No matter how tired she was, she never did that, and alarms began ringing in his head.

'Kate, wake up. Wake up,' Castle shook her gently, but she gave absolutely no response.

'Kate,' Castle called, his eyes wide with panic. Instantly, he became aware of the sweat pouring down his face, and he took a deep breath. He looked over to the bed next to him and saw Kate laying there, her face serene, and her still flat stomach without the noticeable bulge from in his dreams. His memories started to flood back, the kidnapping, the fact that Kate might never wake up from the coma…

'It was just a dream. It was just a dream. She is still alive,' Castle chanted to himself as he began to pace around in desperation. The constant beeping of the machines soothed him ever so slightly, and his heartbeat returned to normal.

It had been a whole week since Kate had been taken to the hospital, and there was still no sign of her waking up at all. The doctors have assured him time and time again that her vitals were strong, and that she could wake up any day, but to Castle, each day was more like a year. His only solace was that Kate was right next to him, where she belonged.

* * *

'You told me you would deal with it, Antonio,' the man snarled as he slapped the burly man across the cheek, making Antonio wince.

'I know where I cut her, sir. She should not even be alive. She would not wake up,' Antonio tried to reason with the man, but he would hear nothing of it.

'You know what will happen if she wakes up, Antonio. How could you be so stupid to not put on a mask before seeing her? She is a detective, and a damn good one too. Do you really think she would give up looking for you? Look at how tightly she held her mother's case to her. She will never let go, and I will be finished,' the man snarled.

'I'll make sure you aren't,' Antonio answered, and the man laughed mirthlessly.

'How would you do that if she wakes up?' the man asked.

'Then I'll go deal with her once and for all,' Antonio answered, staring at the man in the eyes. 'And this time, I'll make sure of it.'

* * *

With a light bounce in her step, Alexis went off to class happily. Kate was finally home with her little brother or sister, and she will wake from her coma soon. She was no longer in the hands of the people who had done the unthinkable to her.

It had been disappointing to know that the people who did this to her were still in the wind and not in the custody of the NYPD, but at least she knew that Kate was no longer in their hands anymore.

'What's got you in such a fantastic mood today, Alexis?' Paige asked, taking in the cheerful sparkle in her friend's eyes that had been missing for the past few weeks.

'Everything is just the way it should be,' Alexis answered, smiling happily. 'Everything.'

* * *

With the syringe placed in the metal tray, he walked along the corridors of the hospital. He was not taking any chances, and any loose ends will have to be tied up.

Flashing his medical badge at the officers standing next to the door, he gave them a confident smile as he showed them a medication that was placed next to the tray.

'Is his name on the list?' one of the officers asked as a second officer began running a finger down the list of names on a clipboard.

'Castor Helbi. Yes, his name is here,' the other officer nodded, granting access, and unknowingly allowed a killer into Detective Beckett's room.

'What are you doing here?' Castle asked, and he smiled reassuringly at him.

'Just giving her some vitamins, sir, for the baby,' he answered, flashing him a charming smile, and Castle's frown lessened slightly.

'This will not hurt her?' Castle asked, and he shook his head.

'No sir, this is for her and the baby,' he repeated, showing him the medical gibberish on the label of the bottle.

'Thank you,' Castle answered, as he sat down on the chair, his eyes observing his every move.

Carefully breaking the seal with the syringe, he slipped the needle into the bottle, and pulled at the plunger, but was careful not to get any of the clear liquid into the syringe. Instead, all it contained now was air.

His eyes darted towards Castle, making sure that he had not discovered what he was doing. Walking over to her bed, he took a moment to take in her features before leaning down. Gently slipping the syringe into the tube that was connected to a vein, his thumb rested on the plunger, as he got ready to push in the gas into her vein.

_A/N: Seriously, I really love my cliffhangers. I have no idea where they come from, they are just there. I know that this chapter is a little shorter than what you are all used to, but I just got into my new boarding school today, and we have a camp tomorrow, so I don't really have a lot of time for this chapter, and I really wanted to get this chapter up for you guys on time._

_As usual, PLEASE REVIEW. Criticisms are much appreciated, but no flamers please._

_This chapter is dedicated to __**Bianca tabbycat**__ for being my wonderful beta._

_Zoe tabbycat_


	12. Chapter 12

Kidnapped Ch.12

'What do you think you are doing?' Castle called out angrily, and Antonio's hands froze. The next thing he knew, he was knocked right to the ground. He winced slightly when Castle's fist came in contact with his face, but he tried to bluff his way out of the situation.

'Sir, what are you doing?' Antonio asked.

'I know the vitamin the doctors give her. It begins with 'G'. Your bottle starts with 'D', and her medical charts didn't specify a change. What are you trying to do to my wife? Who are you?' Castle yelled, gripping his shoulders tightly.

'Sir, I told you who I am. I'm just a nurse, and I'm giving vitamins to your wife and child on the doctor's orders, ' Antonio croaked out, and Castle shook him roughly.

'You're lying,' Castle snarled, and just at that moment, Esposito and Ryan walked into the room, surprised at the fact that Castle was on the floor, half-strangling a nurse to death.

'Yo, Castle. What are you doing?' Esposito asked. Castle replied to them without taking his steely glare off Antonio.

'He tried to kill Kate,' Castle said curtly, not trusting his voice to speak anymore than that before he exploded with rage.

'What?' Ryan asked, as his usually warm blue eyes turned cold and hard as he stared at the man lying on the ground in front of him.

'Look at that syringe. CSU will find his prints on the plunger, and what's in it? Definitely not the vitamin. I'd bet it's poison or something,' Castle told them, his voice wobbling slightly.

Hauling the guy up, Ryan cuffed him and Esposito read him his rights, promising Castle that they would be backed after they dealt with the guy.

Sitting back next to Kate, he took her hand and stroked it softly. The truth of how close he came to losing Kate when she was right in his sight finally sunk in, and with that, guilt sunk in too. When he had married Kate, he had promised her that he would keep her safe, but just like that, he had almost broken his promise.

'I'm so sorry, Kate, I'm so sorry,' Castle murmured, burying his face in her arm, inhaling her scent, and trying to convince himself that she was not just going to slip away.

'What are you sorry for?' A weak voice asked, and Castle's head shot up, unable to believe his ears. The voice that he had yearned to hear for the past few weeks was ringing in his ears, and he simply could not believe it.

'Kate?' Castle croaked out, his throat dry, not allowing him to say more.

'Castle,' Kate breathed, as she attempted to move over slightly so she could lean over into his embrace. However, a small shriek of fear from Kate quickly wiped the smiles off both of their faces as she looked down at the foot of the bed in horror and fear.

'Kate, Kate, honey, what's wrong?' Castle asked anxiously.

'I can't feel or move them, Castle. I can't feel or move my legs,' Kate whispered.

* * *

'Alright, this is your last chance to cop a deal. We got you on attempted murder. What we want is why,' Ryan told him, folding his arms in front of his chest.

'And why would I tell you that?' Antonio asked, looking at him smugly.

Just then, an officer came into the interrogation room with a thick file in his hands, and handed it to Esposito. After a brief read through the file, Esposito whistled.

'Boy, oh boy. You really are a bad boy, are you, Tony? Assault, assault with a deadly weapon, theft… Is there anything that you haven't done yet?' Esposito asked him.

'So?' Antonio asked, shrugging.

'So, what do you think will happen if we happened to, I don't know, throw you into general population in prison? Think you'll survive that?' Esposito asked.

'We only want one thing, and that is the person who sent you after Kate Beckett,' Ryan told him, his face inches away from Antonio's. 'You tell us, and we'll make sure you're not in general population.'

'Guess what? I don't care. I get killed, you will never know who's behind this,' Antonio told them.

'So there's someone behind this,' Esposito hissed at him, and Antonio silently cursed under his breath, but he carefully maintained his façade, hoping to annoy these two detectives as much as he could.

'Oh, detective, this goes so much deeper than you think it does,' Antonio laughed, enjoying having a hold over the two, and leaned back.

'Take him down to holding, and we'll take him down to Central booking later,' Esposito called to the uniform in the room, who nodded.

* * *

'What do you mean you can't feel or move your legs?' Castle asked, beginning to worry as he saw the fear in her eyes.

'I can't move them at all,' Kate cried, a small tear rushing down her face, as her fears began to overflow and she began panicking. Her breaths began to quicken and she began to hyperventilate. The machines that she was hooked up to began to beep wildly at once, and immediately, a stream of doctors and nurses ran into the room.

'What just happened?' The doctor asked Castle as he continued to clutch at her hands, completely unable to let go.

'She said she could not feel or move her legs, and then she began to panic, and…' Castle trailed off as the doctor nodded in understanding.

'Should we give her a sedative, doctor?' a nurse asked, and the doctor shook his head.

'The side effects are pretty bad if she's pregnant,' the doctor answered, before addressing Castle. 'Sir, can you place a hand on her back and try to calm her down?'

Gently, Castle began to run his hands up and down her back the way he knew she liked and began to make up a scene for Nikki Heat and Jameson Rook and told it to her softly.

Everyone watched on as he continued doing so, hoping that they could calm her down without her having to suffer the serious side effects of the sedatives.

* * *

'Alright, let's go rattle the guy once more before Central booking takes him,' Esposito told Ryan, who nodded, and the two of them grabbed their jackets from the back of their chairs and began to head down to the holding cells.

'Who will you be seeing?' The guard on duty asked.

'Antonio Bolstalk,' Ryan answered, as the guard on duty signed the paper and led them to the cell.

When they reached the cell, they stopped short. Esposito looked around, and looked back at Ryan.

'What?' Ryan asked, slightly irritated.

'Where is the guy?' Esposito asked, gesturing to the cell with no one inside, and its door wide opened.

* * *

_A/N: I'm super tired. My school had a bonding activity in which all the students go on a 3-days 2-nights tenting camp experience, and I am exhausted. However, I made a promise, so here's your chapter, right on time. I really hope that you all like it._

_Seriously, though, guys, a massive thank you to all those of you that have reviewed. I was so tired, but all the reviews from the last chapter really made me determined to get the next chapter out on time._

_As usual, PLEASE REVIEW. Criticisms are much appreciated, but no flamers please. _

_This chapter is dedicated to__** Bianca tabbycat**__ for being an awesome, brilliant, committed, fantastic beta._

_Zoe tabbycat_


	13. Chapter 13

Kidnapped Ch.13

Her breathing began to slow down as she started to relax. The soothing sound of her husband's voice speaking to her softly began to register in her mind, and she listened, clinging onto every word like a lifeline.

'Everything is going to be alright, Kate. I promise,' Castle murmured to her, as he felt her body grow limp in his arms.

Just as Kate was about to return to normal, the doctor came into the room with a grim expression on his face. Castle felt Kate immediately stiffen beside him, and he gently rubbed her back, letting her know that he was still there for her. Kate snuggled up closer to Castle as she drank in his comforting presence.

'Mrs. Castle, are we feeling a little better now?' The doctor asked kindly, taking in her pale and disheveled appearance.

'I still can't feel anything in my legs,' Kate admitted softly, as her grip on Castle's arm tightened.

'We have the result of your most recent blood work back. The drugs that your captors gave you do not work well together, which can cause this kind of side effect,' the doctor told her and Kate frowned slightly.

'What drugs? They didn't give me any drugs,' Kate told him, and the doctor shrugged.

'I'm not sure. They could have given it to you when you are unconscious, which would explain this needle mark here,' the doctor told her, gesturing to the area of her hand which was bandaged up. 'Or it could have simply been mixed in your food.'

'It will get better, right?' Kate asked, desperate hope shining in her eyes, and the doctor hesitated slightly.

'In this condition, your muscles are completely weakened. You will need a lot of physiotherapy, and it will not be easy, but there is a very high chance that eventually you will regain full use of your legs,' the doctor answered.

At his words, Kate sat up straighter. She was a fighter, a strong woman who strived on beating the odds. If anyone could take on this challenge and regain full use of her legs, it would be Kate Beckett-Castle.

* * *

'What were you thinking?' He hissed at Antonio sitting in front of him. The small lantern in front of him provided a dim source of light, enough to see the ashamed look on his face. 'Did you know how risky it was to get you out of there? Hell, did you even get rid of her?'

'I couldn't. The guy spotted what I was doing,' Antonio defended himself weakly, and the man in front of him gave a mirthless laugh.

'How stupid are you? I've told you countless times: watch out for them. Now the detective is alive and talking, and we have no idea what was in the journal. Now tell me, how do we fix that?' He said quietly, a deadly cobra lying in wait for the moment to strike.

'I will get rid of her,' Antonio promised, a touch of anxiety in his tone, but the man chuckled.

'You've failed twice already. When are you going to do it? Today? Tomorrow? Ten years later? You are already a fugitive. Knowing her friends, your face is already out in the media. Hundreds of thousands of people are on the lookout for your face,' the man told him.

'Then what do you want me to do?' Antonio asked. 'I'll do anything, anything at all –'

Quick as lightning, the man slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out a Glock 19. Pressing the trigger with deadly accuracy, the bullet lodged itself between the eyes of Antonio Bolstolk. His eyes were open in terror, and he was dead before he had a chance to utter a single word or make a single sound.

'I need you to be gone so I will have less trouble,' the man told Antonio, staring coldly down at his now lifeless body as he pocketed his gun once again and strode off, leaving Antonio lying where he was. The prey was gone.

* * *

'How did the guy manage to escape without anyone knowing?' Castle asked indignantly. 'I thought that the precinct was always swarming with cops.'

'There's a mole in the police department,' Kate answered, her eyes fixed on her bed as she picked at the edge of her blanket listlessly.

'Bolstolk told you?' Esposito asked, and Kate nodded, still refusing to catch their eyes.

'When I catch this son of a bitch, he'll wish that he was never born,' Esposito thundered.

'Don't do anything too drastic, Espo. The baby needs an Uncle to spoil him to bits,' Kate told him, looking up slightly for the first time with a small smile on her lips.

'Don't you worry about that, Beckett. Take care of yourself and the little fella and let us take care of you,' Ryan told her. Kate began to protest, but Ryan held up his hand and stared at her.

'Kate, this does not mean that you are weak. You've done your part, survived and told us about the diary and everything that you know. Now, you need a much-deserved rest, and let us deal with everything else,' Ryan told her firmly, knowing that the one thing that Kate hated more than anything was to appear weak in front of anyone.

'I know,' Kate answered, and Castle hugged her tighter, glad that she was finally agreeing to slow down a little. 'But I get bored with nothing to do.'

Looking at the satisfied smirk on Kate's face, Esposito laughed, and reached into his bag, pulling out a thick, pink book. Kate's eyes lit up as she saw it, recognizing it as the diary that the kidnappers kept asking her for.

'We figured you will be, so we got you something to keep you company. You can go through the diary with Castle, if you want to,' Esposito told her, smiling as she literally snatched the book right out of his hand.

'Don't let her work too hard, Castle, or we will come after you,' Ryan threatened, pointing a finger jokingly at Castle.

'Oh, I definitely won't,' Castle answered seriously, and the boys nodded, knowing that Kate was in safe hands.

As soon as the boys left, Castle gently took the diary out of Kate's hands, ignoring her whimpers of protest.

'Kate, you need your rest, go to sleep,' Castle told her, and Kate glared at him half-heartedly, the glare failing miserably as her eyes began to droop. She felt like someone had managed to tie a brick to her eyelids; no matter how badly she willed herself to stay awake, her eyes refused to cooperate.

'The diary will still be here when you wake up, and your body is exhausted. It's trying to repair itself, and take care of the little bundle in there,' Castle told her, tapping her stomach gently with his finger. 'Go to sleep.'

'Stay with me, Castle?' Kate asked, as she began to drift off.

'Always,' Castle answered, dropping a small, loving kiss onto her forehead.

* * *

Looking through the window, the man sneered slightly. Kate Beckett was becoming more and more of a hindrance as time went on, and she must be stopped.

She had not been cooperative at all when it came to information that he needed, but he knew enough about her to know that she will not cease investigating into her own kidnapping, regardless of whether she was allowed to do so.

Glancing at his watch quickly, he strode off with only one thought in his mind.

Kate Beckett must be taken care of. The loose end must be snipped off before it can ruin the whole picture.

* * *

_A/N: Since there were two cliffhangers from the last chapter, I decided not to end this chapter on one, and made it a little nicer than my last chapters. I really hope that you all like it, and that you all enjoy it. I know that I really should be studying for my maths test, but oh well, right now, fanfiction trumps school work. :D_

_As usual, PLEASE REVIEW. Criticisms are much appreciated, but no flamers please._

_Special thanks to __**Bianca tabbycat**__ for betaing this chapter for me._

_Zoe tabbycat_


	14. Chapter 14

Kidnapped Ch.14

Kate's nose wrinkled as she frowned intently at the pink book in her hands. Her head was leaning against Castle's shoulder and his hands were gently running through her hair.

Her mouth twitched as she flipped yet another page over, and to Castle, that was simply the most adorable thing ever. Not that he would ever do that himself. Oh no, if Kate knew that he thought of her as adorable, he would be dead before he even felt it.

'What are you thinking?' Kate asked suddenly, her eyes still scanning over the pages.

'How do you do that?' Castle asked, holding up his hands as if to surrender. 'Do all women have special tingly eyes at the back of their heads?'

'That is a very attractive image, Castle,' Kate snorted. 'And that is for me to know, and you to find out.'

'I'm just thinking how lucky I am,' Castle answered smoothly, his hand squeezing her shoulder. 'I've got you and cookie safe, here with me.'

Kate said nothing, but she leaned deeper into Castle, mentally pushing away the image of herself dead and Castle standing over her, his eyes dull. Brushing away a tear that was making its way down her cheek, she buried her face in his chest, taking in his familiar, comforting scent that was uniquely Castle.

'Are you ready to tell me about the nightmares?' Castle asked gently, and Kate looked up sharply.

'What?' Kate asked. 'I don't have nightmares.'

'Kate, I am your husband and partner-in-crime, and I know when you are having a nightmare. For the past few days, you've been having nightmares every single night,' Castle stated quietly. 'Don't lie to me, please? Not now.'

'It's nothing,' Kate started, but relented after a skeptical look came over Castle's face.

'I see him every single night, Castle. I am back there, in the warehouse, in the room. I see his eyes staring at me. Then if I'm lucky, I'll wake up, and I see the cut on my face, Castle, in the mirror. It's like he's looking back at me, taunting me,' Kate burst out, the fears and terror that have been haunting her at night bursting forth, like the crushing force of a river through a broken dam. She turned around to face Castle.

'And it wasn't just me, Castle. Sometimes, I see you there, and Alexis, telling me to come back, but there wasn't anything I could do. In the end, you two would just give up and leave me,' Kate finally admitted the most heart-wrenching thing she had dreamed of and kept to herself for days, and Castle immediately shifted closer to her.

'Kate, listen to me. Neither I nor Alexis will leave you, ever. Things will get better,' Castle assured her, enveloping her into a warm hug.

'Will it?' Kate asked, the young child in her emerging to seek reassurance. At that moment, the ghosts of her kidnapping were shining through in her eyes, and anyone could tell that a small part of her, buried deep under her façade of confidence and laughter, still feared the return of her captors.

'Yes, it will. I promise,' Castle told her.

* * *

He sat at his desk, signing boring pile after pile of paperwork that sat in front of him. However, his mind was a thousand miles away.

A smile curled up upon his lips, and he checked his watch. His plan was already in action, and if all goes as plan, in an hour, all his worries and troubles will be over.

His job had been fairly smooth sailing so far, and being a mole in a department was much easier than he had anticipated. No one had ever suspected him, and his position meant that he was aware of the latest news. This had been the first real challenge that he had met, and he believed that he had handled it expertly.

If all goes as planned, in an hour, he would be trouble-free. With this happy thought floating around in his mind, he went back to his paperwork, humming merrily.

* * *

His hands skimmed over the smooth edges of the gun before it rested on the trigger. He carefully took apart the gun and began to reassemble it, handling each part with care, inspecting each piece slowly and deliberately before putting them together.

His hand landed on the last piece of equipment he needed: the scope, the object that allowed him to become one of the best in the field. It had been his partner, his constant companion. It was to him what the husband was to the target.

Attaching the scope to the gun, he placed it on the edge of the railing and began looking for his target. It was not long before he found her, and with the scope's help, he could see her every move, every action.

His fingers wrapped around the trigger, ready to allow one single piece of metal to take away yet another human life. This was really too easy. She was just sitting on the bed, engrossed in a book that she was reading, blissfully unaware of what was to come. Perhaps that would be best for a person who loved life so much that she could not bear to let it go.

His shoulders relaxed slightly. His fingers began to tighten around the trigger. A bullet escaped from the clip, spinning through the air towards the woman.

* * *

Kate was so engrossed in the diary that she did not even notice that Castle had stood up and was looking at her with an amused expression on his face.

He loved to look at her when she was concentrating on something crucial, like a piece of evidence, or when she was looking at the murder board. There was something about her serious expression that made her hot as hell, and leave him needing a cold shower.

The inner nine-year-old in him decided that he wanted her undivided attention, and he decided to do something that would ensure that he got what he wanted. He took a step towards the window, blocking off the sunlight, and just as Kate let out an indignant squeal and started swatting him with the pink book, the sound of broken glass was heard, and Castle crumpled on to the floor, his mouth opened in a 'O' of surprise.

'Rick,' Kate yelled desperately, as blood began to pool around Castle. 'Somebody help! Rick, don't you dare go to sleep. Stay with me, please. Rick!'

* * *

_A/N: I'm back with my tricks up my sleeve once again, people. Cliffhangers! Yes, they really so very nice, and I really love them, so what I do I do with them? I share them._

_Seriously, though. A massive thank you to all those that reviewed/favorited/alerted this story. I had a really bad asthma attack this afternoon, and my medications make me really sleepy, but I am determined to uphold my end of the promise because of all of your support._

_As usual, PLEASE REVIEW. Criticisms are much appreciated, but no flamers please._

_This chapter is dedicated to __**Bianca tabbycat**__, who, regardless of her complete and utter dislike for cliffhangers, betaed this chapter for me all the same, pestering me to reveal who happens in the next chapter. That is not happening, to her deepest disappointment. If you don't hear from me next chapter, it'll be because I've been kidnapped by her in an attempt to discover how Castle would survive. (According to her, I love Caskett to much to kill one of them off.) _

_Zoe tabbycat_


	15. Chapter 15

Kidnapped Ch.15

'Kate, I'm okay. I promise,' Castle told her as Kate stayed snuggled up against his chest, her body feeling weak and shaky. Her hands clung on to his with a death grip.

'Kate, it's just a graze on my arm; I'm really fine,' Castle soothed her, as Kate adjusted her position slightly. 'Now can you loosen your hand?' She let go, shifting slightly so that her ear was directly above his heart as she listened to the reassuring thump of his heartbeat.

'There was so much blood,' Kate murmured slightly, still refusing to look up and meet his eye.

'Kate, I swear I am completely fine. You heard the doctor as well. It's just a scratch, and it probably won't have any lasting effects on me. Well, other than this little scar, maybe. I can brag that I was injured in action, and everyone will be impressed beyond words. Anyway, it's going to be alright. Everything is going to be alright,' Castle told her, and Kate's head shot up.

'Everything is not alright, Rick. It was for me. The person that shot you was after me, but he or she shot you instead. What if you moved to the left at that moment? What if it was just a little closer to here?' Kate asked, jabbing his chest forcefully with her finger. 'What if you are gone, just like that? How do you think I'll feel?'

'Kate, we can't live our lives thinking "what if"s. It'll drive you nuts. We need to do is focus on what we should do now, not what we should've done,' Castle told her firmly.

'Then maybe you should go,' Kate told him, fighting the tears that threaten to spill out of her eyes when she uttered those words.

'What? No,' Castle exclaimed. 'Kate, what are you talking about?'

'Castle, I can't do this. If you get hurt because of me… The guilt will crush me, destroy me. If not in body, then in spirit. I won't be able to live with myself,' Kate pleaded, her heart breaking at the crushed look on his face. Just then, there was a knock on the door, and Esposito and Ryan came in.

'Hi…' Esposito started but trailed off, seeing Kate's upset, guilty face and the crushed expression on Castle's face. 'Is this a bad time? We could come back –'

'She just asked me to leave her,' Castle stated in disbelief. A clear, indignant voice rang out from the corridor.

'She did what?' Lanie exclaimed incredulously, looking as if she would like nothing more than to shake some sense into Kate. 'Girl, you find the man of your dreams, and you tell him to – what, abandon you in your hour of need? What is going on in that head of yours?'

'I don't want to talk about it,' Kate answered, looking away from all of them, and kept her eyes fixed on the window; she had been moved into another room after the incident. 'I just need some time alone to think, clear my head. Please?'

The others all nodded and left the room reluctantly, but Castle just stood there, determination and stubbornness written across his features.

'Castle, please, I can't let you get hurt because of me. I can't do that to Alexis,' Kate told him wearily.

'What about me, Kate? How is this fair to me? You are my wife, and Alexis is your daughter just as much as she is mine. You can't just push us away whenever there's any sign of trouble. That's not a marriage. Remember our vows?' Castle took her hands tenderly in his, and pulled her into a standing position. He stared down into her doe brown eyes, where fear and despair and desperation swirled and churned. How he longed to take it all away from her.

'_I, Richard Edgar Castle, take you, Katherine Houghton Beckett, to be my lawfully wedded wife, my constant friend, my faithful partner-in-crime-solving and my love from this day forward. I offer you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, in joy and in sorrow, and to love and cherish you forever. I promise you this from my heart, for all of eternity_,' Castle whispered, wiping away Kate's silent tears. 'Don't you see? _In good times and in bad_. I'm pretty sure that includes an attempted assassination, and more.'

She continued to weep, and he tilted her head upward. "Kate, listen to me. I'm not going to go anywhere, no matter how hard you try to push me away. I'm going to be right here, and we will get through this together,' Castle told her, and Kate sunk into his waiting embrace.

'I'm scared,' Kate admitted, finally stopping to try and force him away. She was tired of fighting, tired of being selfless, and most of all, tired of being scared.

'I know,' Castle answered, stroking her hair. 'I am too.'

* * *

Another attempt. To be specific, it was another failed attempt. He signed his name at the bottom of the paper with a little more force than necessary, quietly letting the anger out of his system without alerting any of the people outside the office.

How hard is it to get rid of one person? Who is, by the way, an injured female with her useless excuse of a husband. They needed her out of the way if they were to continue with this and to succeed in their ultimate goal. He had already lost some of his best helpers in his group, and now his secret weapon had also failed him.

He buried his face in his hands and he massaged his temple tiredly. He had no idea how he was going to proceed, and the boss had demanded another interview.

He let out a long sigh as he pulled another stack of paperwork sitting towards him. Perhaps it was time he had a talk with his old friend, and figure out what to do.

* * *

'I'm really bored,' Kate whined childishly, and Castle chuckled slightly.

'I'm surprised that you lasted two weeks in here,' Castle teased her and she smacked him lightly. She was really glad that he had taken her up on her offer; instead, he was teasing her about it by blaming her hormones.

'Well, then, what I'm going to tell you is going to put you in a much better mood,' the doctor announced as he walked into the room. 'I think that you are well enough to go home. Your reports from this morning are in, and everything is normal.'

Before he even finished speaking, Kate was already out of bed and rummaging through her bagful of clothes in preparation of departure.

'Woah, there, Mrs. Castle. There are some conditions to your freedom. First of all, no going back to work at all. You can work a desk job once you get back, but for this week, I want you to stay at home on a couch or a bed. Medications must be taken regularly, even if you think that you are better, alright? Remember: no field work anytime soon,' the doctor warned her, all traces of playfulness gone.

'I understand,' Kate answered impatiently. 'Now can I go change and get back home?'

'Of course you can,' the doctor laughed. 'And I hope never to see you here again.'

'Same here, doc,' Castle agreed wholeheartedly, as Kate closed the toilet door behind her.

'Mr. Castle. You need to keep an eye on her. If she shows any sign of PTSD, you need to take her to a therapist. We cannot give her the normal antidepressants due to her pregnancy, and the stress from PTSD is not beneficial at all to both mother and baby,' the doctor told him in a low voice, and Castle nodded.

'I understand,' he answered.

* * *

'We're finally back,' Castle sighed happily as he unlocked the front doors. It felt like it had been forever since they had walked through the doors together.

'We are,' Kate agreed. The door opened with a snap, and her vision was immediately blocked by a mass of red hair as Alexis wrapped her arms tightly around her waist.

'I'm okay, Alexis. I'm fine,' Kate reassured the young redhead, hugging her back.

'Don't leave me again, Kate. Don't leave me,' the redhead pleaded, her face etched with worry.

'I won't. I promise I'll do everything in my power not to leave again,' Kate answered her, smiling. Alexis seemed so grown up now, or perhaps it was just her imagination. Castle had disappeared into the kitchen to prepare her meds. A glass of water stood ready on the counter-top next to him, and as he dug through the plastic bag with all her pills, his flailing elbow caught the edge of the glass and pushed it dangerously close to the edge.

Kate frowned. 'Rick –'

She was too late. The glass wavered on the edge, as if deciding to fall or not, before gravity won the battle. With a loud crash, the glass dropped and splintered into a thousand sparkling shards.

Kate immediately crouched down and curled into a ball, letting out a ear-splitting scream, her mind flashing back to when she was held against her will.

Heedless of the sharp glass, Castle took a flying leap across them and knelt next to her. 'Kate? Kate? Can you hear me?' Castle called, panicked. Alexis just stood there, watching one of the strongest woman that she knew crumble, like the glass that had splintered into irreparable pieces, a poor echo of its former self.

_A/N: Yep, not a cliffie. Amazing, huh? Well, you have Bianca tabbycat to thank for that. She scared me so badly with her threats regarding the last cliffhangers that I just did not dare to put one in this time. XD_

_As usual, PLEASE REVIEW. Criticisms are much appreciated, but no flamers please._

_This chapter is dedicated to __**Bianca tabbycat**__, who insisted that I at least try to proofread my own chapters. She's pretty sure that despite her protests, I will leave her all the hard work. Besides… she helps me add some of the more emotional stuff. If you like the wedding vow part and the last glass-symbolic part, thank her._

_Zoe tabbycat_


	16. Chapter 16

Kidnapped Ch.16

Castle quietly tiptoed out of the room and closed the door gently behind him. Before he left, he took a good, long look at the woman lying on his bed.

Her face was now relaxed and her long hair was fanned out on the pillow beneath her head. Her eyes were swollen, and there were still tear stains on her cheeks.

Alexis was sitting in the kitchen when he came out, the shattered glass carefully wrapped in newspaper and thrown away. She had a cup of hot chocolate sitting in front of her, and a textbook that was laid opened next to her, but a glance at her eyes told Castle that her attention was not on the book at all. Hearing footsteps behind her, Alexis looked up quickly.

'How's Kate?' Alexis asked, the slightest wobble in her voice.

'She'll be fine,' Castle answered, his voice so strong and reassuring that for a moment, Alexis believed that could happen straight away.

'Kate is the strongest person I know, dad. I've never seen her like this, not even when the guy shot her at the funeral,' Alexis said softly. 'I'm scared, dad. Kate is so strong, but just now, she literally just crumbled.'

Her eyes had a faraway, haunted look, and Castle knew that she was reliving the moments that Kate had crouched there, not responding to neither Castle's nor Alexis' words.

_Flashback:_

'_Kate, it's me, Rick. It's Castle,' Castle pleaded as Kate stayed on the floor, whimpering in fear._

'_Leave me alone, leave me alone,' Kate screamed, sobbing, and Castle's heart broke into a million pieces. He would rather that he was the one trapped in the fear of his own mind, than to have Kate ever having to go through this experience._

'_Please, Kate, it's Dad and I. We're your family. We won't hurt you,' Alexis cried, the emotional situation causing tears to start leaking out of her eyes._

_Castle knelt down beside her, and immediately felt a stinging pain across his right knee. He knew he must have placed his knee down awkwardly, and as a result, a sliver of glass must have cut through the fabric of his pants and grazed his knee. He simply used his hands to brush the rest of the glass away, for what was his pain compared to his wife's? He bent down next to her. Despite her protests and struggles, he managed to pull her into his arms and wrapped them around her tightly. Slowly, her struggles began to lessen, and her breaths began to slow._

_Alexis had came back with a cup of warm water and her medication. Kate had taken them slowly, before allowing Castle to take her back to their room. She fell asleep almost instantly._

_End flashback_

'She needs help, dad,' Alexis told him, close to tears as she told the truth they all tried to ignore. 'She needs professional help.'

'Yes. Yes she does,' Castle agreed, digging through a cupboard of cards, trying to locate the one card that he had desperately tried to hide.

* * *

'Sir, I promise, everything will be taken care of,' he told the person on the other end of the phone. He was perspiring heavily despite the coolness in the room, and his voice was laced with stress.

Yelling could be heard on the other end of the phone as he fingered the golden plate that stood on his desk, displaying his name and title to anyone who happened to come into his room.

'Yes, sir. Yes, I completely understand,' he agreed, nodding his head vigorously as if the person on the other end of the conversation could see and interpret it as a sign of his willingness to serve.

More shouting came from the other end of the phone, and he sat up straight.

'Trust me, she will be out of this world and dead the way she should have been long ago,' he said out loud confidently.

At that exact moment, a knock was heard and a woman in her late fifties waltzed into the room without waiting for a response. He put his phone down in alarm, watching her as she settled a large pile of folders on his table.

'Here's the last batch, chief,' the woman told him, and he smiled back tightly.

'Thank you, Elizabeth,' he answered, hoping that she did not hear anything of what he said right before he hung up. He liked this woman a great deal, and she treated him just like a mother would his son. He would really hate to have to kill her.

'Mikey, heed my words: no matter how bad a girl treats you, never go kill any of them. Who knows? One day, they might be good for you,' Elizabeth told him, chuckling slightly as if they were sharing a joke.

His heart dropped like lead. Now, instead of having to get away with one murder, he would have to get away with two, with one victim being someone he truly cared for.

* * *

'Why isn't there an air conditioner?' Esposito complained loudlu as he sat on his chair at the precinct, fanning himself by using the pages of the diary. Ryan groaned. It was the fifth time that Esposito had made that exclamation in the past hour. Since Beckett was on leave, their workload had increased massively, and without her, they were getting very good at leaving their work until the last minute, which is why they were now facing a mountain of paperwork.

'It's so hot,' Esposito whined once again, and Ryan swirled around in his chair, intending to smack him with a book, but as Esposito continued to fan the pages in quick succession, something caught his eye, and he snatched the book from Esposito.

'Hey, what are you doing, bro?' Esposito asked, surprised.

'You'll see in a minute,' Ryan called back, disappearing into one of the meeting rooms.

* * *

Kate opened her eyes and saw that Castle was snoring gently next to her, one of his arms slung around her shoulder protectively. She took a look at the clock and saw that it was already midnight; she had slept for about twelve hours. Gently extracting herself from Castle's arms, she headed for the bathroom.

After getting a warm bath ready, she took off her clothes and headed for the bathtub. She glanced at the mirror quickly, and stopped short at the sight of it. Something was different, and she was sure that just yesterday, it was not like this.

Her abdomen protruded slightly, showing a slight baby bump.

_A/N: Ta da, no cliffies. I had an internal debate between a cliffie and a fluffy ending for this chapter, but since I finished most of the school work due this week just now, I am in a relatively good mood, and decided to be kind, and give you all a happier ending to a chapter, as we never really had a happy ending so far, right? Anyway, I really hope you guys all like it._

_As usual, PLEASE REVIEW. Criticisms are much appreciated, but no flamers please._

_This chapter is dedicated to __**Bianca tabbycat **__for being wonderful beta._

_Zoe tabbycat_


	17. Chapter 17

Kidnapped Ch.17

As she traced a finger over the slight bump on her abdomen, a shiver of anticipation and joy went down her spine. The slight protrusion meant everything to her. Despite what she had been through, she was able to protect her baby, and now, he or she was making itself known to the rest of the world.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly, her eyes still closed. She could feel her heart beating, and a strange but clear sensation filled her body. For the first time, it actually hit her. A child was growing inside her, and she was responsible for his or her safety.

A pair of hands encircled her and she stiffened, her mind going completely blank. After a moment of panic in which she struggled to remember where she was, she relaxed, recognizing the owner of the hands as Castle's.

He began to trail kisses along her back as his hands danced across the bare skin of her abdomen. As he reached the bottom, he finally felt the bump, and he looked at her in the mirror, his eyes wide with wonder.

Smiling, Kate turned around and cupped his face in her hand, and gently pressed a kiss to his lips.

'Our baby,' she murmured, looking at him in the eye.

'Our baby,' Castle agreed, returning a deeper, joyful kiss.

* * *

"What do you feel, Kate?' Dr. Burke asked. Kate sat uneasily in his office, eyeing him with undisguised discomfort. Her hands were tightly clenched together as she sat perched on the edge of the sofa.

'I don't know,' Kate answered shortly, and Dr. Burke chuckled internally. Of all the patients that he had dealt with, Kate Beckett was surely on the top of the list of being one of the most stubborn persons that he had ever dealt with.

'Kate, you've been through what most people will never go through. And you've experienced it twice. There must be something that you are feeling,' Dr. Burke prodded. There was a heavy silence afterwards, and he was beginning to wonder if he would have to schedule the session for another day when she exploded, a torrent of words bursting from her mouth.

'I hate all of it,' Kate answered vehemently, her head jerking up sharply. 'I hate the constant fear. I hate having to look over my shoulder. I hate jumping every time my husband touches me. And I have no idea what to do about it. I just want everything to stop, to go back to the way it was. Why can't I stop myself from being so scared? Why can't someone help me?'

'Can they, Kate? Maybe they're trying to; you're just pushing them away,' Dr. Burke asked.

'What are you talking about?' Kate asked, sinking back into the soft sofa opposite to Dr. Burke.

'Kate, you are a strong, tough person, but are you ever willing to talk about what happened? Does anyone else apart from you actually know what happened when you were kidnapped?' Dr. Burke asked. 'Are you letting people help you at all?'

* * *

'Ryan, you'd better tell me what you are doing soon, or I'll be coming over to smack your pretty-boy face,' Esposito muttered darkly as Ryan continued to flip through the pages.

'T-something Lane,' Ryan murmured. 'What is that?'

'Bro, I'm telling you. One Temptation Lane fan here is more than enough. If you tell me that you've started watching Temptation Lane like Beckett, I swear I will hit you until you regain your senses,' Esposito threatened, and Ryan's eyebrow shot up.

'Aha! Temptation Lane,' Ryan exclaimed in triumph. He made to get up from his chair, but Esposito pushed him back down, and leaned towards him.

'Bro, what is going on?' Esposito asked seriously, and Ryan finally handed him the diary with the mysteriousness of a person who knows everything.

'Do that fanning thing so that you flip through the pages real quick. Pay attention to the letters in the lower right hand corner,' Ryan told him, leaning back on his chair.

Esposito did so and he looked at Ryan, his eyes wide with realization. 'What has Temptation Lane got to do with everything?'

'I have no idea, but let's go talk to Beckett about this – now,' Ryan answered, pulling on his jacket hurriedly.

* * *

'You're exactly like your mother when she was pregnant with you,' Jim Beckett told his only daughter that afternoon.

'What do you mean?' Kate asked, her attention temporarily diverted away from the drama series on the television. Her hand was suspended above the bowl of marmite and mashed potatoes that sat on her lap.

'When Jo was pregnant with you, all she wanted to do was to sit in front of a television and eat the weirdest combination of food there was available,' Jim chuckled, a wistful smile on his face as he thought of the wonderful times he had had with his wife.

'What did she watch?' Kate asked, intrigued.

'Temptation Lane,' Jim answered, laughing. 'That was why she would watch it with you when you were sick. It reminded her of the times when she was pregnant with you.'

'I still remember those scripts that mom made for me when I was younger. She got me so obsessed with that show,' Kate reminisced wistfully.

'Jo would sit in front of a typewriter late at night to make you those scripts. You would read them all the time, and say that it was just as good as watching the show,' Jim told her, and Kate laughed.

'I wish I knew where they were,' Kate told her father. 'I would love to read them again.'

'Well, I'm pretty sure that they are in those boxes in her room. I… didn't really go through them yet,' Jim mumbled, sadness seeping through his body.

'Dad, we don't have to get them yet,' Kate told him. 'We can wait until you are ready.'

'No, Katie. What I've learnt from this incident is that you never knew what will happen next. If it is something that you want, and it's possible for it to be done, then I should do it,' Jim answered, taking a deep breath. 'I'm ready.'

* * *

'What have we got?' Esposito asked Ryan when he got back. They didn't get a chance to go and see Kate yet, as a fresh murder had just turned up. Beckett still had a week of medical leave left, so he was left in charge until she was ready to return. The Temptation Lane question would just have to wait.

'Vic's name is Elizabeth Donelly. Widowed with no children. Poor woman,' Ryan shook his head as he relayed the information to Esposito. 'Lanie, what happened here?'

Lanie, who was crouched beside the body of an older female victim, looked up at them, no hint of teasing in her tone. 'Preliminary COD is a bullet through her head, execution style,' Lanie told him. 'And there is also something that you two should see.'

Ryan and Esposito exchanged glances. Whenever Lanie said that, it was never something good.

Pulling up her shirt to reveal her abdomen, both detectives stifled a little cry of shock. A knife was used to carve her stomach, leaving behind scarlet ribbons of fresh blood. The word they formed was unmistakable.

'_Beckett.'_

_A/N: AHA! I'm back with my old tricks of cliffhangers. I know you all missed them, didn't you? Come on, you can admit it. No one will be upset. I really hope that you like this chapter, as I am not quite sure whether I am completely happy with how this turned out._

_As usual, PLEASE REVIEW. Criticisms are much appreciated, but no flamers please._

_This chapter is dedicated to __**Bianca tabbycat, **__my willing beta, who did not have to go to school today because of the weather. That lucky brat. _

_Zoe tabbycat_


	18. Chapter 18

Kidnapped Ch.18

He put his head into his hands as he stifled a groan. Whatever had possessed him to do such a stupid thing? Why would he carve the name of his intended target right into another victim so that they would be prepared for him? At that moment, he could feel his sanity teetering on the edge, ready to come crashing down at the slightest trigger.

His gaze lingered on a photo that sat on his desk, and he gazed into the smiling face of Elizabeth. She loved fussing over him, and for a moment, a wave of guilt rushed over him, but he quickly pushed it aside. With his job, there was no room for any kind of remorse or hesitation.

He knew his detectives would be coming up soon, to 'inform' him of the tragic death of his personal assistant. Rubbing his palms together, he let out a deep, stressed sigh and sat up straight, starting yet again on his pile of paperwork. He kept one eye on the door as he waited for the detectives to appear.

* * *

'Kate, I know I'd asked you this before, but please let me take you to someplace far away, someplace that you will be safe. China? India? Hell, anywhere,' Castle implored.

'No matter where I go, Castle, I won't be safe. Not until Bracken is caught,' Kate answered, her eyes fixed on the photograph of her name on a dead body.

'We will get this sonofabitch, Kate,' Esposito promised, placing his hand around her shoulder.

'And… we found this,' Ryan added, holding out the pink diary, and began to fan. As Kate saw the words that were formed, she stood up immediately, snatched her phone, and speed-dialed a number.

'What –?' Castle started, but Kate smacked her hand over his mouth, effectively silencing him.

'Hey, Dad? Remember those scripts we were talking about? I think we need them now,' Kate said quickly, then waited as Jim said something on the other end of the phone.

'Yeah, it's important. I don't know how, I just know it is,' Kate insisted as Jim rattled something off.

'I'll meet you in an hour,' Kate told him. 'Love you, dad.'

'What was that all about?' Ryan asked curiously.

'I'm not quite sure about this, but if I'm right, those long strings of numbers in the diary is a message that my mom left me,' Kate told them.

* * *

Lanie stood over the dead body, a scalpel in her hand. She was ready to cut into the insides of a victim in order to help them speak for themselves, but unable to help herself, she kept staring at the word on the victim's abdomen.

She had often joked that if she saw Kate lying on her table, she would bring her back to life just to kill her again, but in truth, every single time that her assistants told her that there was a body waiting for her, she would have to take a moment just to reassure herself that the victim was not Kate, or Ryan, or Espo. And every time when she saw the victim, she would feel a rush of relief that it was not they who died.

She looked at the woman lying in front of her. There were crow's feet at the corners of her eyes, and Lanie could tell that the woman used to smile frequently. Her eyes darted over to the picture of the woman which was clipped to the top of the case file.

Her brown eyes were large and kind, and even though it was just a photo, her facial expression radiated a sort of maternal warmth around her.

Who could be so cruel as to kill off someone like that?

* * *

'We're very sorry for your lost, sir,' Esposito concluded as he stared into the face of the Chief of Detective, Michael Keys.

'She was a good person. Who would do this to her?' Michael asked, plastering a convincing distraught expression on his face.

'We don't know that yet, sir, but we are doing everything we can to find out,' Ryan answered him.

'Find him, detectives,' Michael commanded, though in his heart, he is mentally running through the checklist in his mind to make sure he had done everything he needed to so as not to get caught.

'We will, sir,' both Ryan and Esposito answered simultaneously.

Realizing that he had still not expressed concern for the leader of their team, he quickly stood up, and looked at both detectives sternly.

'Take good care of detective Beckett, is that understood? I do not want one of New York's finest detective to be gone just like that,' he told them, his voice full of authority.

'We will sir,' Esposito answered gravely. 'You can count on it.'

As the two detectives left the room, Michael exhaled deeply and slumped down on to his chair, a triumphant smile on his face.

Perhaps he had gone into the wrong business. Maybe he should have pursued a career in acting instead.

* * *

'Katie, what do you have in mind?' Jim Beckett asked as Kate rifled through the many boxes in the study, looking for the one thing she had in mind.

The room was covered with dust, as no one had stepped foot in this room ever since Johanna Beckett had died. Cobwebs covered many surfaces. In short, the room was in ghastly conditions.

'Remember the game that mom and I used to play? Where I pretend that we were spies, and I would make mom write me messages with this really complicated code from different books, the position of the word, and the position of the letter in the word?' Kate asked, as she pulled out a huge stack of papers and set it on the floor.

'I remember that,' Jim Beckett laughed, an amused smile on his face. 'We were trying to tell you that it was time for dinner, and boy, did that message take long to get through.'

'I found a diary with mom's handwriting, and a familiar looking bunch of numbers in them. When Ryan started fanning through the pages, the words 'Temptation Lane' showed up,' Kate answered, as she began to flick through the scripts her mother had written out for her.

'And you think…' Jim trailed off, looking expectantly at his daughter.

'Yep. I think this time, the book is the Temptation Lane script,' Kate announced.

* * *

_A/N: How would I dare to leave it on a cliffhanger. I mean, I revealed the mole in this chapter –gasp- I really hope that you all like this chapter, and that the whole picture is starting to emerge._

_As usual, PLEASE REVIEW. Criticisms are much appreciated, but no flamers please._

_This is, yet again, dedicated to the patient__** Bianca tabbycat**__, for beta-ing for me._

_And today is also **Project66**'s birthday today, so a massive HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you. I hope that you are having a great birthday in the US._

_Zoe tabbycat_


	19. Chapter 19

Kidnapped Ch.19

Sitting in the doctor's office, Kate could feel a rush of pure, unadulterated joy coursing through her veins. She would get to see her baby today. She looked up to see Castle's eyes shining, but as his hand moved to her shoulder, she could also feel that they were shaking.

The doctor had stepped out of the room temporarily to allow Kate some privacy as she changed out of her jeans and shirt into a hospital gown, and for the moment, they were alone.

'Rick, what's wrong?' Kate asked softly, turning around to face him when she was done.

'Nothing, Kate. Everything is perfect,' Castle told her with a smile that was more of a forced grimace, but Kate cut him short.

'Castle, you don't have to hide anything from me. I'm your wife,' Kate whispered to him.

'What if I mess this up, Kate? What if I am a horrible father to cookie here?' Castle asked in a voice that cried for reassurance, gesturing towards her abdomen, and Kate placed her hands on her hips.

'Rick, listen to me. You are a wonderful father. Just look at Alexis. She's grown up to be a wonderful young woman. Both she and cookie are so lucky to have you as their father,' Kate told him, her tone firm.

'I'm scared. I'm scared that I'm so happy, and that it will be gone any moment,' Castle finally admitted the thought that has been lurking at the back of his mind for days.

'I'm scared, too,' Kate told him. 'I know Bracken is behind all these attempts on my life, but who's helping him? There is a mole in the NYPD, and I have no idea who it is. I have no idea who is friend or foe. I'm scared that cookie won't survive, or that I won't be able to see cookie grow up. We don't have the answers, and we only have questions, but we have to live every second of our lives. You taught me that, Rick, and I remember.'

'I love you, Kate. I love you so much,' Castle told her, giving her a tender kiss on her lips.

'I know. I love you too,' Kate answered.

Just then, a knock was heard on the door, and the doctor returned. She was an old friend of Kate's from school, and one of the best gynecologists in New York City.

'So, Mr. and Mrs. Castle, are we ready to see the little one yet?' Bethan Huxtable asked cheerfully.

'Yes,' Castle answered eagerly, his inner nine-year-old shining through his eyes. The seriousness of the conversation had already faded from him mind. Kate took a look at him and laughed, then nodded at the doctor as well.

'Lie down, Katie,' Beth told her, and she obliged. Beth then pulled up the gown slightly as she covered her legs with a blanket, and took out a tube of gel.

'Now, this is going to be a little cold,' Beth warned as she squirted some gel onto her bare abdomen. As soon as the gel came in contact with Kate's skin, she burst out into uncontrollable giggles, and Beth sighed in amusement.

'Some things just never change, do they?' Beth smirked, and Kate glared at her half-heartedly.

'She was always like this?' Castle asked, intrigued by the possibility of blackmail material.

'Yeah. We used to run a towel under the cold tap and try to sneak up on her to get the towel on her. Why do you think she loves a hot bath and objects to a cold shower?' Beth told him, enjoying the murderous daggers that Kate was shooting at her. 'Oh, come on, Katie. We both know that you love me too much to hurt me.'

'I hate it that you are always right,' Kate grumbled.

'And there's the baby,' Beth announced, as her hand stilled over a spot on her abdomen. She pointed to a small blob on the screen, as Castle moved over closer to Kate.

'There's our baby,' Kate murmured, tears flowing down her cheek.

'Our baby,' Castle repeated in awe. Kate shifted unconsciously so that she was closer to Castle.

Beth stilled the image on the screen and printed out several copies of it. Sensing that her old friend wanted a moment of privacy, she excused herself quietly and left the room, heading for the pharmacy to prepare some vitamins for Kate.

* * *

'Sir, she's pregnant. The child has done nothing to incur such a fate,' Michael exclaimed into the phone. He was staring at the paperwork that Victoria Gates had submitted to him for Kate's maternal leave, when the time came.

'So? How do we know that it was even accurate information?' Bracken snapped into the phone. How was it that every time he wanted to get rid of her permanently, something always blocked his way?

'Sir, Captain Gates had no idea that I work for you. She would never provide me with false information. She was the one who tipped us off as to what leads the detectives have on Beckett when we kidnapped her. She was the reason why we even managed to hold her for so long.'

'I don't care. Get rid of her. With her still being here, me running for president will be a huge risk. I do not want that kind of risk associated with my career. Is that understood?' Bracken told him.

'But, sir…' Michael protested again, and Bracken cut him off rudely.

'Forget it, Keys. You've failed me too many times. This time, I'll be handling this personally,' Bracken told him, his voice calm and cold as he slammed the phone down, leaving Keys silently wondering what the hell he had gotten himself into.

* * *

Taking out a cutter, Kate cut open the tape that sealed the last unopened box in the office that no one had entered in over ten years. She smiled as she remembered the look on Castle's face when they entered the room.

_Flashback:_

'_When was the last time that someone went into the room?' Castle asked, curiosity evident in his voice._

'_No one has been in here since mom died,' Kate answered, slipping the key into the lock with a little difficulty, and turned the key._

'_It's the secret garden.' Castle exclaimed, his ever-present inner child taking over. 'You've found the secret garden.'_

She loved it when she could see that side of him. Her job consisted of murders and victims. All she came across was violence and madness. Seeing how Castle managed to retain some of his innocence, she felt as if the world could still be a safe, better place.

Peering inside the box that she had just opened, she spotted the stacks of scripts that her mother had typed out for her during sleepless nights. Along with the scripts, there were pictures of them altogether.

Kate looked up, hoping to get her emotions under control, but even when she was staring at the ceiling, all she could see behind her eyelids were pictures of their family, back when they were whole.

Pictures of Johanna Beckett, cuddling a tiny Kate as they left the hospital.

Pictures of Johanna Beckett smiling when a chubby, laughing Kate was hugging her birthday present close to her chest.

Pictures of Johanna Beckett with a teenage Kate, when she attended her first prom with her best girlfriends.

All of a sudden, the reality hit Kate in the face, harder than even before. There were uncountable moments her mother would not be able to be there for her. When she needed advice on how to be a mother, she won't be able to go running to her mother for help. She won't be able to compare pregnancies with her mother, and laugh about their similarities, and coo over how to decorate the baby's room, and what clothes to buy – pink or blue or a gender-neutral yellow? All of these things, none of them for her and her mother –

She choked back a sob, hoping that Castle did not hear her, but Castle being Castle, could hear the slightest sounds when it came to Kate. He was next to her in a second, and she buried her face in his chest and began to cry.

'Kate, honey. Everything will be alright,' Castle soothed her. He kept her close with one hand around her waist, and his other hand running up and down her back.

'I want my mom, Castle. I need my mom,' Kate whimpered, longing for something she could never have in this lifetime.

* * *

_A/N: Well, well, well. Would you look at that? No cliffhangers. There is a reason behind that, though. I came up with a cliffhanger that will happen later in the story, and it will be a brutal one. Prepare yourselves. Also, Andrew Marlowe created enough of a cliffhanger in the first episode of Castle, didn't he? Boy, I thought I was mean with cliffhangers, but compared to him? I'm nothing._

_As usual, PLEASE REVIEW. Criticisms are much appreciated, but no flamers please._

_This chapter is dedicated to __**Bianca tabbycat**__ for taking time to read over/edit my un-proofread work, even with her upcoming dance competition, for which she claims she is so 'woefully unprepared' that she can barely think straight._

_Zoe tabbycat_


	20. Chapter 20

Kidnapped Ch. 20

'Leave me alone! Please, just leave me alone,' Kate cried, thrashing about. Sweat and tears mingled together into an indiscernible waterfall. "Stop it, please!"

Castle sat up immediately and switched on the lamp beside him. Kate was screaming, her eyes squeezed closed as she battled her demons in the land of sleep. Castle frowned; this was the fourth time that Kate had had another violent nightmare this week, and they seemed to be getting more and more frequent as time goes by.

'Kate, honey, wake up,' Castle called, holding her hands down, but that only made her struggle more. It was getting increasingly difficult to get her to wake up, and he was getting more and more worried.

'Don't touch me, don't touch me,' Kate whimpered, her voice tiny and broken. Castle's heart was heavy as he glazed down at his wife, feeling so completely useless as he watched her struggle. He tightened his grip on her hands, making sure that she would not hurt herself.

'Kate, it's me. It's Rick. I won't hurt you. Can you open those beautiful eyes of yours for me?' Castle called, raising his voice slightly so he could be heard over her shouts.

Slowly, her eyes flickered opened, and her breathing calmed slightly. Her eyes were still wide with fear, and haunted by reliving her kidnapping. Castle pulled her close to him and she laid her head onto his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his waist, her hands clutching him tightly with absolutely no sign of letting go.

After her breakdown at Johanna Beckett's office, they had taken the thick stack of scripts and headed home silently. The pregnancy was taking a toll on her, and after throwing up her entire meal yet again, she went to bed straight away as her eyes were already having trouble staying open.

She had looked relatively peaceful in the beginning, giving Castle a flicker of hope that she would actually be able to sleep through the night without a nightmare, but those hopes went down the drain as her first cries pierced through the quiet night.

'I was back in there again,' Kate murmured, so softly that Castle had to strain his ears in order to hear. 'I was just sitting there with a plate of food, and he came in again. He had a knife with him, and he was just coming closer and closer, and there was nowhere I could go. I can still see the knife now. It was just so shiny and silver…' Kate trailed off.

'Maybe you should talk to Dr. Burke again, Kate,' Castle told her, tilting her head up gently so that he was looking at her in the eye. Kate flinched at the name and pulled back.

'I'm not weak,' Kate defended herself. 'I don't need a psychologist.'

'Seeing Dr. Burke doesn't mean that you're weak, Kate. What did he tell you last time?' Castle asked, prodding softly.

'He said I'm pushing everyone away by not talking about what happened. I'm not,' Kate insisted, and Castle would have chuckled at the childlike declaration from her if not for the serious nature of their discussion.

'Have you actually told anyone about everything that happened in those days, Kate? ' Castle asked, and Kate wriggled out of his embrace.

'I'm dealing with it,' Kate told him, her voice laced with hurt. 'I'm not trying to push anyone away. I'm done with running, Rick. I've been done with running ever since I married you.'

'I never said you were running, Katie,' Castle told her, saying her name with affection. 'There are things that are just hard to talk about, and this is definitely one of them. It doesn't have to be me if you don't want to tell me yet. You just need to talk to someone. Maybe you can tell your dad, or Espo and Ryan. Anyone at all.'

'I thought you would make me talk about this,' Kate asked, a little confused.

'I know that when you are ready, you will tell me,' Castle answered plainly, with a tender smile.

'Well, I'm ready,' Kate told him, sitting up straight, and her voice determined. 'I'll tell you what happened, from the start to the end. Every moment of what I've gone through.'

'Kate, you don't have to force yourself,' Castle started, but she cut him off.

'I'm not forcing myself. With you, I _know_ I'm ready,' Kate told him.

* * *

'I told Rick,' Kate started as she sat in Dr. Burke's office yet again.

'Why?' Dr. Burke asked, slight curiosity laced in his voice. It hadn't been that long since he had last seen Kate.

'I'm not running from him. I was ready,' Kate answered. At that answer, Dr. Burke gave one of his rare smiles.

'How do you feel now?' Dr. Burke inquired, and Kate stood up and stood by the balcony doors.

'I'm still scared. I can't quite relax completely. I can feel it in my gut that someone is going to kill me,' Kate admitted, her shoulders slumping.

'You know these things take time, Kate,' Dr. Burke reminded her. 'And you know the process will be painful and difficult, but you have someone beside you now, and he would be here for you the entire way. Are you ready?'

Kate stood there, contemplating. Images of her with cookie, Alexis and Castle floated through her mind. They were all smiling in the pictures, and Kate could see that she was completely at ease. If she was not willing to go through the long and hard healing process for herself, she would have to do it for Castle, for Alexis, and for cookie. For their future – together.

'Yes. Yes, I'm ready.'

* * *

She had thwarted him too many times, and it was starting to become more and more annoying. He knew that she would have to be taken care of, but time after time, she was always able to stay a step ahead of him the whole time.

He swore that he would only contact _him_ as a last resort, but he was desperate now. The presidential campaign was only a few months away, and if the smallest detail of his past dealings were leaked out now, his reputation will be forever tarnished. Everything he had strived for in his lifetime would be wasted.

He was a man with everything to lose, and he would go down fighting to protect it.

Picking up a phone, he dialed a number that was forever seared into his memory, but had never seen the need to dial.

'Carter. It's Will from school. Remember the favor you owe me?' Bracken said into the phone. 'I need you to get rid of someone.'

'Katherine Beckett.'

* * *

_A/N: I know that this chapter is both depressing, and cliffhanger-ish, but I'm having a really crappy week, and so is my roommate. We've both been crying quite a bit, so I'm kind of depressed and everything, so I hope that this isn't too dark or somber for you all._

_As usual, PLEASE REVIEW. Criticisms are much appreciated, but no flamers please. _

_This is dedicated to __**Bianca tabbycat**__ for being the most marvelous beta ever, and to my roommate, whose week is even crappier than mine. I hope that you feel better soon._

_Zoe tabbycat_


	21. Chapter 21

Kidnapped Ch.21

Coming out of the clothing store, Alexis and Kate took a look at each other and grinned. They frequently had what they called 'girl time', where they would hit the shopping malls nearby and return home loaded with shopping bags. This was the first time that they had had another 'girl time' ever since Kate had been kidnapped.

Alexis dragged her into the next store, taking no notice of Kate's protests that soon stopped as she noticed the delicious aroma of freshly made smoothies. Immediately, she relented and allowed Alexis to order a smoothie for both of them.

'We aren't going to be able to do this for much longer, right?' Alexis sighed softly as they waited for their drinks to arrive.

'What do you mean?' Kate frowned slightly. She had no idea why Alexis would think that. She adored these shopping trips every bit as much as Alexis did, and she had no intention of stopping them anytime soon. She ignored the waiter as he placed their smoothies in front of him.

'Well, when… when the baby arrives, you are going to have to spend more time with cookie, right? I mean, cookie really is your baby, and… and I'm not. I'm just that awkward daughter that Dad brought with him into your marriage,' Alexis muttered, stirring her drink around, and Kate could not believe her ears.

'Alexis Harper Castle, do not let me hear that again. You are my daughter as well, and after cookie arrives, you will be a fabulous big sister to cookie too. When you need me, or simply just want another 'girl time', I will definitely come with you. Do you understand?' Kate told her fiercely.

Shuffling closer, Alexis wrapped her arms around Kate as she hugged her tightly. She had been so afraid that Kate would ignore her and focus all of her love on cookie. Deep down, she knew that the jealously was illogical and ridiculous, but she simply could not rid herself of these insecurities. However, now that everything was cleared up, things look brighter and happier. Heck, even the shopping bags felt lighter.

'Thank you, Kate,' Alexis told her sincerely, and Kate smiled down at her and ruffled her hair, paying no heed to her squeals and complaints as she rearranged her hair.

'Anytime, Lex. Now, I think we've got enough clothes, so where shall we go next?' Kate told her, affection shining through her voice.

'Shoes,' Alexis answered at once without a single moment of hesitation.

'Come on, then, what are we waiting for?' Kate laughed as they headed for the large array of shoe stores in the shopping mall, smoothie in hand.

* * *

The gnawing feeling in his stomach reached a feverish pitch as he watched the interactions between the mother and daughter. His hands clenched around the camera in his pocket, but he could not bring himself to take it out. He had washed his hands of this business years ago. If it had not been for the massive leverage that his old schoolmate had over him, he would definitely not be doing this now.

Shaking his head, he attempted to clear the emotions that were clouding his mind. A fantastic contract killer like him would not let emotion blur their judgment, and he had always pride himself on being able to separate his personal business from his professional one, but on this important job, he just could not do it.

He thought of his own wife and son, back home, ignorant of what he was, and what he was about to become yet again. He could tell that the target was pregnant, and she had that glow of impending motherhood around her. His mind flashed back to the time when his wife was pregnant with his son, and how protective he had been of her. He could only imagine how the target's husband would be like after he heard that –

Mentally slapping himself, he forced his train of thought to stop, and took out the camera, his jaw set in stone. Quietly, in the shadows where no one could see him, he began to compile his collection of pictures of his target, Katherine Houghton Beckett-Castle.

* * *

Lying in bed that night, Kate smiled as Castle came out of the bathroom, and climbed into bed beside her. Instinctively, he leaned over to Kate and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, and slid down a little to place another soft, feather-like kiss on her abdomen.

'What are you doing?' Castle asked, as Kate continued reading the thick stack of sheets next to her.

'I'm still trying to figure out what my mom was trying to tell me,' Kate answered, frustration evident in her voice. 'I mean, I know the kind of code my mom is using, but I have no idea which episode this was taken from. There were plenty of different episodes that she could have chosen, and I can't solve this code just because I'm too stupid to figure that out.'

'Kate, calm down. We're going to crack this code,' Castle soothed, her but Kate was on a roll.

'This is not like Mom. She likes to have everything organized, so it has to be in here somewhere,' Kate groaned, her eyes scanning the pages furiously. Gently taking the papers out of her hands, Castle placed them back on the bedside table, unaffected by the glare that Kate was currently sending in his direction. After being on the receiving end of that look for years, he had become immune to it. Never more would he be threatened by that glare… 99.999% of the time, anyway.

'Kate, let your mind relax. You are too worked up over this. Sometimes, if you let your mind relax, the answer will come to you,' Castle told her slowly, treating her like a child, and Kate huffed indignantly. She looked down as she sulked, but burst into uncontrollable chuckles as she noticed Castle's newest bright pink boxers.

Pink!

That was the answer to everything. Kate sat up so quickly that it took her a moment to adjust. 'What's wrong?' Castle asked, surprised by her sudden quick movement.

'I know what episode it was from,' Kate answered. Digging through the papers, she looked about desperately for the particular script that she was looking for. Pulling the diary over to her, she began comparing the numbers to the one episode that she was currently holding in her hands. A slow smile broke out upon her face as she looked up, the light that had been missing from her eyes so long returning.

'I've got it,' Kate smiled, triumphantly.

* * *

_A/N: Yep, it's Monday, and yes, here is another chapter for you all. I hope that you are enjoying this story. A massive thank you for all the favorites, alerts and most importantly, REVIEWS! They are what keep me going as I write, and they are what motivate me to update regularly, as I love to hear from you all_

_As usual, PLEASE REVIEW! Criticisms are much appreciated, but no flamers please._

_This chapter is dedicated to __**Bianca tabbycat**__, who sacrifices so much of her precious studying time to help me beta. (But let's be honest… 'Studying' = reading notes with your phone/iPad/computer right next to you. Am I right or not?)_

_Zoe tabbycat_


	22. Chapter 22

Kidnapped Ch.22

'How do you know that it's from this episode?' Castle asked, his eyebrows wrinkled in bewilderment. He had had hopes of being the first to crack the code. 'I mean, I believe you when you said that you were sure of it, but how do you know?'

'Your boxers,' Kate answered simply, as she continued writing letter after letter on another piece of paper, slowly deciphering the code.

'Kate, I'm sure that your mom did not have my pink boxers in her mind when she wrote that down,' Castle told her gently, fearful of getting on the wrong side of his hormonal wife.

'Well, not exactly, no. Look at the episode title, the diary, and the color of your boxers,' Kate told him impatiently, her brows furrowing as she continued deciphering the diary.

'Just so you know, my pink boxers are awesome, just like I am,' Castle said, smirking, and Kate looked up.

'Come here, you big baby,' Kate told him, giving him a sweet, slow kiss on the lips. 'There, is your ego feeling better now?'

'It most certainly is,' Castle answered, leaning in for another kiss, to which Kate happily obliged.

'Now, will you please explain this to me?' Castle asked, pointing to the script in her hand, and Kate shook her head in exasperation.

'How often do you think you can find a pink diary with a pair of stilettos on the cover?' Kate asked, smirking, and Castle looked confused.

'Um… never?' Castle offered, and Kate laughed.

'Close enough. When I was younger, my mom and I both had favorite episodes on Temptation Lane, and we would clamor over who gets to watch their favorite episode. Mine was 'Blue Cheese', and mom's was 'Pink Stiletto',' Kate told him, and Castle's eyebrows shot up.

'Pink Stiletto?' Castle asked pointing to the title of the script that was sitting on Kate's lap.

'Yep,' Kate answered as she placed the pen on the bedside table. Castle leaned in to read her hurried scribbles.

_Siberian Heights Warehouse, Storage locker 4195, code 1842_

* * *

Her hands were shaking slightly as she turned the key to the padlock.

The evidence which could incriminate the man behind her mother's murder may be at her fingertips, and she would finally be able to apprehend him and see justice delivered, at long last.

She looked up at Castle and the boys, and all of them looked at her solemnly. She knew that they had been fighting this battle with her from the start, and they were just as eager as she was to end this battle in their favor. Hearing the lock click, she pulled it off, and yanked the door to the locker open.

A large box sat in the middle of the storage locker. Kate went in with the boys, and taking out a pocket knife, she carefully cut through the tape that kept the box shut.

With shaking hands, she took out the contents of the box. There, in front of her, were the files that she had been after so desperately, the files that she thought was gone forever, lost to circumstance. Clutching them to her chest, she allowed a tear to escape her eye. All of a sudden, she became aware of someone tapping her on the shoulder.

'Beckett? This is for you,' Ryan told her, handing her a white envelope with her name written in front. Kate quickly recognized the handwriting as her mother's, and tore the envelope opened. A single, handwritten letter lay inside. If it were not for the yellowed paper and slightly faded ink, she could almost imagine that her mother had written this for her just a few hours ago.

Holding back tears, she started to read.

_My dearest Katie,_

_I don't quite know how to begin. It is never easy to write a letter, knowing that your child will only see it once you are gone. It is my most desperate wish that you will never need to see this letter, leaving it to disintegrate as we spend our lives together, as I watch you grow up, graduate, marry your love, see your children – my grandchildren. I have many dreams, Katie, but one can never wish for too much. _

_Now I must go to the other reason I am writing this to you. I know you, Katie. Whatever the cops come up to explain my death, you would not believe their cover story; everything falls too easily into place. But please, even as your gut cries for you to search for the truth, I beg you to resist the urge to do so. The man who is responsible for this is dangerous; a man protected by society and its tycoons. He knows how to surround himself with walls of lies and deceit so that no matter how hard you try, you can never incriminate him as a normal working citizen. Even with the files in here, you still don't have enough to go after him. Believe me, Katie, because I died trying. _

_Katie, I know that you don't like to obey rules of any sort whatsoever, but listen to me. Bid your time, and what till you are strong, powerful, and influential enough to take William Bracken down once and for all._

_I must go – your father will return soon from work. In case you read this and I haven't said goodbye to you, know this: I love you, always, even when you ruined my blue dressing gown and threw up on the carpet that one time you tried to be 'cool' and drank alcohol. _

_Love,_

_Mom_

Kate was crying by the end of the end; all of her efforts to appear tough and unemotional had failed. After all these years, she finally got to hear – or see, to be more specific, but who really cares? – her mom telling her that she loved her one last time.

'Rick, my mom told me she loves me,' Kate murmured, as if she was in a daze, but she received no reply. Looking around in confusion, she saw the three boys lying on the floor, their eyes closed. Her hands instinctively reached for her weapon that she kept with her at all times.

'Don't even think about it, detective,' a man's hard voice rang out as the barrel of a rifle appeared within her line of vision.

* * *

_A/N: I'm soooo sorry that this is so short, but I have a legitimate reason (for once). I am severely asthmatic, and I have no idea what, but something triggered it, so I've been having full blown coughing fits every hour, and I am stuck in the school sanatorium. I haven't slept properly in quite some time, and I am exhausted, so I'm really sorry if this chapter was not up to your expectation. For the same reason, I was not up to replying to all of your reviews, so please forgive me._

_As usual, PLEASE REVIEW. Criticisms are much appreciated, but no flamers please._

_This chapter is dedicated to several people. __**Bianca tabbycat **__for being a wonderful beta and writing as Beckett's 'Mom' in the letter, my friend who is in the san with me at the moment with the exact same problem as me, and last of all, my dear boarding house mistress, who took time out of her busy schedule to visit my friend and I, and who truly cares about each of us individually._

_Zoe tabbycat_


	23. Chapter 23

Kidnapped Ch.23

'Hand me everything in that box, and nobody would get hurt,' the man declared, his eyes shining maliciously through the holes in his mask.

Kate hesitated, feeling as though her heart was being torn into two. Here she was, with the information that could put her mother's murderer behind bars for the rest of his life in her hands. Yet, if she did give it up, the man could easily hurt her or the people that she loved.

As if sensing her inner struggle, the man immediately jerked the closest person to him into a sitting position, and raised his gun to his temple. Kate's heart plummeted all the way down to her stomach. The man with a gun to his head was Castle.

'Let him go,' Kate told him, her gun trained on his heart, as she struggled to keep her voice calm and even. She began to inch along towards him, but stopped, as her bulging 29-weeks pregnant stomach had stopped her from being as stealthy as she wished to be.

'I told you, detective, and I will only repeat this one last time. Give me the contents of the box and you can have your boy back,' the man told her. He pushed down on the gun, applying a larger pressure to Castle's temple. 'Oh, and detective, put the gun down. We most certainly do not want my hand to accidently _slip_ and pull the trigger, do we?'

Kate glanced at the unconscious Castle, and slowly began to lower her weapon. She would not gamble with his life, not for anything at all.

'Good job, detective. Now, I would like the box. My boss will be very happy to have those,' the man told her, his voice smooth and laden with victory.

'These won't be going to Bracken anytime soon,' Kate told him, her voice low and determined.

'Detective, do you not understand my very simple deal? You give the box, and I will leave them safe and sound. You refuse to give me the contents, and they will hurt – a lot. So let's stop with these games and give it to me. _Now_,' the man told Kate in a no-nonsense voice. 'So, be a good girl, or else –'

With deadly accuracy, Esposito punched the guy from the back of his head. With all of the man's attention focused on Kate, he had neglected to sense that Esposito had already come round, and had been right behind him.

Letting out a large breath of relief, Kate gave Esposito a small smile, and Esposito nodded back.

Kicking the gun away, Esposito pulled the ski mask off the man's face, and began systematically checking his pockets, turning them inside out.

'No ID. We have nothing to identify him,' Esposito told Kate when she got off the phone with dispatch, having called for backup and EMT.

'Well, I didn't expect him to carry an ID with him,' Kate told him, but a small twinge of disappointment could still be seen on her face. 'You did good, Espo.'

'Hmm… I'm always the best,' a small mumble could be heard, and they both turned around to see Castle sitting up, looking disoriented, with Ryan next to him.

'Sure you are, babe, sure you are,' Kate told him, giving him a peck on his cheek after he stood up. 'How are you feeling?'

'Shouldn't I be asking you that question?' Castle frowned, pulling her closer to him and placing a hand on her pregnancy bump. 'What happened?'

'Well, I'm not the one who got knocked out by the guy, and that's not important,' Kate retorted, and Castle smiled, throwing a quick glance to their attacker.

'Fair enough. He got me on the head hard,' Castle told her, pouting.

Examining his head, Kate nodded. 'Probably nothing bad, but you will have a pretty bruise on your head tomorrow.'

'It hurts a lot, though,' Castle whined childishly, and his eyes brightened slightly. 'You will kiss it better, though, won't you?'

'You are such a child,' Kate told him, shaking her head, but gave him another kiss on his soon-to-be bruise.

'But you love me anyway,' Castle smiled.

'That I do,' Kate told him. She leaned into Castle, inhaling the scent that was uniquely his, finally allowing the fact that they had escaped unscathed to sink in. She could feel her legs trembling as she imagined what would have happened if Espo didn't wake up in time to save them.

'Guys, the EMTs are here. Ryan's gone to get checked out,' Esposito told them, interrupting their moment.

'Castle, go get your head checked out,' Kate told him, pulling away, and Castle frowned.

'But you've already kissed it better,' he protested. Kate gave him her patented eye-roll, and he went off immediately.

'That's goes for you too, Espo,' Kate told him, turning her stern gaze onto him.

'Beckett, I'm made of sterner stuff than those two,' Esposito protested, but Kate arched her eyebrows as she continued to stare at him.

'Should I ring up Lanie and ask her for her professional opinions?' Kate asked with a smirk. Lanie, being an ME, would obviously fear the worst and drag him off to some hospital for a full body check, and Kate was quite sure that Esposito would not want that to happen.

'Fine,' Esposito grumbled under his breath as he walked back towards the EMTs.

Making sure that the three of them were occupied by the EMTs, Kate ducked behind the wall to take care of the attacker. As she was fastening handcuffs onto the still knocked-out guy, her mind was far away. This had gotten too close to home. Images from her kidnappings were floating through her mind, and she struggled to hold them back. It was as if a dam had broken, and she had no control of her flow of thoughts.

Taking yet another deep shuddering breath, she noticed a shadow had obstructed her view. Smiling, she looked up, expecting to see Castle back from his checkup, only to stare right into the metal barrel of yet another gun.

Its owner stood over her, smirking. Gritting her teeth, the name that she so desperately loathed rolled off her tongue with a heavy coating of bitterness, loathing, and disgust.

'_Bracken.'_

* * *

_A/N: I know, still a short chapter, but you will have to put up with it for a little longer. I'm responding well to the medication, but I am still not back to my full strength yet, but I am back to school already, which is very draining for me. So the next couple of chapters will be about this length as well, and then we should go back to the normal length._

_I hope that you like this chapter. I know I should be studying for my business test which I have tomorrow morning, but writing fanfiction seems to be a much better use of my time._

_As usual, PLEASE REVIEW! Criticisms are much appreciated, but no flamers please._

_This chapter is dedicated to __**Bianca tabbycat**__ for being the most marvelous beta ever, and to my lovely boarding house mistress, who was spending time with me to make sure that I am responding well to the medication over the weekend._


	24. Chapter 24

Kidnapped Ch.24

'Well, detective Beckett, we meet again,' Bracken told her in a silky voice, his hand steady as he moved the gun to her temple.

'We had a deal,' Kate gritted out, as fear coursed through her veins. She heard the ambulance outside the building pulling away, and her heart sank. The others were all probably taken to the hospital for a checkup, and now she was alone with a gun-wielding Bracken, completely defenseless.

'Tsk tsk, detective. You really have to learn to leave things that are none of your business alone. If you did, you and your child will not be in this position,' Bracken scolded her mockingly, taking advantage of what he had learnt about Kate's weakness.

Guilt and regret immediately flooded through Kate. She dragged a deep, rattling breath into her lungs, trying not to weep over her past actions. Cookie was innocent, and now, he or she would not live to see the world. If she had left this entire matter alone, maybe it would not have turned out this way. Maybe she and baby would both be safe in their home, with Castle hovering over her and telling her about what had happened at the station… Shaking her head, Kate forced herself out of this reverie. She squared her shoulders and stared at Bracken in the eye.

'Then you should learn to stop killing people. You won't be getting away with this. The boys and my husband will come back soon,' Kate told him with absolute conviction.

'You certainly have a lot of faith in them,' Bracken told her, with a slight frown. As she watched, it slowly curled into a smile. 'Or is that just plain stupidity?'

Kate's eyes darted around as she desperately looked around for an escape route, or a weapon, or anything that could distract him long enough so that she could get away. Bracken laughed at her feeble efforts.

'No one is here, detective Beckett, and no one will be coming back anytime soon,' Bracken told her, smirking. 'It's just you and me. When I kill you… The papers will call it a tragedy. It'll make the headlines: a pregnant cop checking on her mother's belongings, only to have a mugger take everything in here. He was forced to shoot you to prevent you from catching him,' Bracken smiled in satisfaction, and Kate snorted.

'That is the stupidest story I've ever heard,' Kate said matter-of-factly, and Bracken glared at her.

'That's completely beside the point. I hold the_ key_ to the New York Police Department. No one will ever suspect me,' Bracken declared. Kate's eyes narrowed, but she said nothing in response.

'We've chatted long enough. Sweet dreams, detective,' Bracken said softly, and Kate squeezed her eyes shut. Images of Lanie, of Esposito, of Ryan, and most importantly, of Castle and Alexis, swam before her eyes. Silently, she bid farewell to each of them, waiting for herself to fade to nothingness.

The shot never came. Instead, she heard a sudden cry and scuffling sounds. Kate's eyes snapped open in alarm, taking in the scene unfolding in front of her.

Esposito had kicked the gun away from Bracken, and the two of them were now fighting against each other for the weapon. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Castle inching towards her cautiously. Feeling nothing but relief and joy and hope, she began to step towards her husband.

The next thing she knew, there was a sudden wall of pain, a blur of colors and motion, and then her mind went black.

* * *

Castle sat beside Kate on the ambulance, his hand gripping hers tightly as he prayed to get out of this nightmare. She was once again on the ambulance, fighting for her life just like she had done so less than a year ago.

As they reached the hospital, the doctors pushed him away from Kate as they surveyed the damage and talked in rapid doctor-speak. Castle sank down on the chairs in the waiting room. He was exhausted both mentally and physically, and the blow to his head earlier did nothing to help with his exhaustion. His eyes remained firmly opened nonetheless, as the scene replayed itself in his mind.

_Flashback:_

_Moving carefully towards Kate, Castle kept an eye on what was happening beside him. Esposito had the guy's full attention as he dodged and avoid blows with every ounce of concentration. _

_He had to get Kate out of here. Catching her eye, he gave her a small encouraging nod, and she began to walk towards him slowly. Seeing this, Esposito fought even harder, making sure that Kate could get out safely._

_It happened so quickly. In an instant, Bracken ducked Esposito's fist, twisted around, and punched Kate right in her face. She staggered backwards, her hand going up automatically to defend herself. A look of shock and agony crossed her face as she fell._

_Castle could only watch, frozen in place. Time seemed to slow down as he watched Kate's descent, her hair drifting out beautifully, as those lovely eyes of hers widened. Despite her round stomach, she still fell elegantly with the grace of a warrior._

_Her body gave a loud thud as she hit the ground hard, and her head caught the sharp corner of the metal box. A sickening crack sounded in the air, and blood began to pool beneath her head as her eyes fluttered closed._

_Bracken seized his chance and went in the opposite direction immediately, fleeing from the scene. Esposito snapped to his senses and took off after after him, with Ryan hot on his tail._

_Castle ran towards Kate, dialing the EMTs' number with shaky hands. He carefully moved the metal box out of the way, and lowered Kate's head on his lap. His hands were once again covered in her blood, and it was still warm and sticky._

_End flashback_

With that, Castle gagged. Having that feeling once on his hand was more than enough. This was the second time he had done this, and it was two times too many.

'Mr. Castle?' A doctor called, and Castle jumped up immediately.

'Is my wife okay?' Castle asked anxiously, and the doctor looked at him solemnly.

'Mr. Castle, Mrs. Castle has listed you as her emergency contact. We need you to make a decision now,' the doctor told him. 'This is not going to be an easy choice to make, but we need an answer quickly.'

'Yes. What is it?' Castle asked, his voice thick and dry.

* * *

Kate gave a low groan as the fog and haze in her brain retreated. She blinked her way back to reality, and there were sighs of relief from everyone in the room. However, all she could register was that the pain and the feeling that something was different. Glancing to her left, she saw Alexis sitting right next to her, but Castle was nowhere seen.

Her hands trailed down her stomach instinctively, and that was when she realized what was wrong. She no longer had a bump.

'Where's cookie? Alexis, where's my baby?' Kate asked, her heart beating quicker and quicker as she realized the baby was no longer with her at 29 weeks.

* * *

_A/N: Ta da! Here we go: another chapter, and of course, another cliffhanger. I'm telling you all, I really love them. I really hope that you all enjoy this chapter, and I do believe that this will end in another two to three chapters, so I need your opinion. Should I leave it with an open ending, or should I wrap it up with a super fluffy and cute epilogue? Tell me in your reviews._

_As usual, PLEASE REVIEW. Criticisms are much appreciated, but no flamers please._

_This is dedicated to my favorite beta, **Bianca tabbycat**, for taking time out of physics homework to beta my story. LOVE YA LOADS!_

_Zoe tabbycat_


	25. Chapter 25

Kidnapped Ch.25

'Kate, calm down, please,' Alexis begged as Kate began to hyperventilate. The machines began to beep wildly as her heart rate quickened, and nurses rushed into the room, alarmed.

'Where's my baby?' Kate cried, oblivious to everything around her. Adrenaline coursed through her body, and she no longer felt the pain in her abdomen. Her thoughts were consumed by images of her baby taken away. Everyone's voices was pushed to the back of her mind, like the background noise in a movie. Everything was insignificant as her maternal instinct kicked in.

'Kate, honey,' a voice pierced through the hazy fog in her mind, and she grasped onto it; it was her lifeline. A hand was laid gently on her shoulder, and her vision began to clear. Castle stood in front of her, his eyes worried, but there was a small glimmer of joy within them. On seeing him, Kate began to calm down again, and the machines stopped beeping. The nurses and the doctor that had came in panicking slipped out of the room once they saw that Kate was fine, allowing the family some privacy.

'Rick, the baby. Where's our baby?' Kate cried. She was so focused on the answer that she did not notice that Alexis had slipped out of the room while she was hyperventilating and had just slipped back in without anyone noticing.

'Kate, our baby is alright. No one took him, and he is safe and sound in the hospital,' Castle told her, rocking her gently.

'I need to see cookie,' Kate told him determinedly, getting ready to stand up despite all the wires and tubes attached to her, but Castle stopped her by tightening his arms around her.

'Kate, you just had surgery. You are in no fit state to go running around the hospital,' Castle told her worriedly, and Kate gave him her patented glare.

'Rick, that's my child. I need to know for sure that my child is safe,' Kate told him, her voice rising dangerously. Alexis stood up and made her way towards them, smiling.

'I just took some pictures of him for you,' Alexis told her gently, handing her the phone with the photos, and Kate snatched it from her greedily. Flicking through the pictures, tears of joy and relief began to run down her face.

'It's a boy?' Kate asked, a small smile tugging on her lips. Her earlier tantrum was already forgotten, a thing of the past.

'It's a boy,' Castle confirmed, kissing her on the crown of her head.

'Can I see him?' Kate asked eagerly, and Castle shushed her gently.

'The nurses will bring him around later, and you can see him then,' Castle told soothingly.

'But I want to see him now,' Kate insisted childishly. She gave Castle a pleading look, and his insides crumbled. Her child had been born and she had not even seen him once. He knew that she was not feeling any pain at the moment because of the painkillers flowing through her system. Who was he to deny a mother a chance to see her son?

'Alexis, can you ask a nurse if Kate can see the baby now?' Castle asked, and Alexis nodded, fiery determination in her eye. Kate chuckled. She knew that Alexis's stubbornness could rival her own, and if she desperately wanted something, she would get it.

However, as soon as Alexis was out of the door, Kate's smile dropped and she turned away from Castle. When he tried to give her another small kiss, she moved away, and Castle was bewildered at her reaction.

'Kate, what's wrong?' he asked, and Kate's shoulder sagged with sadness.

'It's only been 29 weeks, Rick. It should have been for 40 weeks,' Kate murmured. 'It's my fault.'

'Nothing is your fault. There is nothing to fault you for here,' Castle told her, surprised that she was blaming herself for what had happened.

'Look at him, Castle,' Kate looked up, finally looking into his eyes. Alexis' phone showed a photo of cookie, surrounded by machinery. 'How many tubes and wires is he hooked up to? It can't be pleasant, Rick, and it's my fault. I was supposed to keep him safe for another 11 weeks, but I couldn't. I didn't fulfill my responsibility as his mother.'

'Kate, you're not to blame for anything. He is a healthy baby boy, and the nurses said that his vitals are strong, and everything looks good and stable. He's going to be fine,' Castle told her. 'None of this is your fault.'

'I shouldn't have gone to the warehouse,' Kate cried. 'If I didn't…'

'You can't live your life with some many 'if's. We can make the world a better place with 'if's, Kate, but we can't do that. If I didn't get knocked on the head, if I insisted not getting checked by the paramedics, if I had made you come with me… The list is endless.' Castle took her hand is his, and pressed it to his lips. 'Part of what happened… It could also be my fault.' Ghosts and demons of that day resurfaced in his mind, and he gave a slight shudder.

Just then, Alexis waltzed back into the room triumphantly, followed by a nurse pushing a small trolley. Kate sat up immediately, and looked at the small infant that laid inside the transparent box.

The nurse gently picked him up and handed him to Kate, who took over the tiny parcel with some hesitation.

The moment that the baby was placed in her arms, a sea of great calm washed over her. He looked just like any other baby, just a little smaller.

'He's so tiny,' Kate whispered, voicing her concerns, and the nurse smiled at her.

'He's a strong boy. His vitals are good, and if you want to, you can try to breastfeed him. If he catches on, we can get rid of a few of those tubes,' the nurse told her, and Kate nodded, comforted.

The nurse beamed at her. It wasn't often that one would find a 'happily-ever-after' ending in a hospital. Sensing the family's need for privacy, she edged her way to the door. 'Just call if you need help with anything.'

The door closed. Kate undid one side of her nightgown, and she gently placed the baby on her breast. Sensing the warmth, the baby began to yowl and blindly nuzzled his head against her chest until he latched onto Kate's nipple. A soft sigh of satisfaction escaped his lips as he began to suckle, and at that moment, Kate could not be happier. Finally, she felt that she was able to bond with her child.

Castle stood there watching, transfixed. He would forever remember this moment when his child and his wife was just in their own little bubble. Both of their faces were so serene and peaceful that it seemed that no one could possibly interrupt them.

Alexis looked on to see her little brother in the arms of her stepmother. When she first saw him, she had fallen in love with him, and she could just sit there for hours, watching him sleep. He was the sibling she had always wanted to spoil to bits, her tiny adorable little brother who have gone through so much yet survived unscathed.

She also knew that Kate was extremely worried that she would not be a good mother to her baby, but that was something she confided in Castle. Sometimes, there were topics best discussed with a fellow female. She looked at them now, and she knew that no matter what Kate thought, she was going to be the best mother that any child could hope for.

Exhausted after the feeding effort, the baby's head drooped and his breathing evened out. He had fallen asleep.

'He needs a name. He can't very well be called Cookie Castle,' Kate murmured as she traced the infant's forehead with the tip of her index finger. Alexis gave a brief laugh before leaving the room to find a nurse.

'Why don't we use the name we decided on the night we got married,' Castle suggested, and Kate nodded.

'Welcome to the family, Oliver Alex Castle.'

'Rick, wake up, wake up,' Kate called him, and Castle jolted awake. Sweat was running down his face. Someone seemed to have sucked all of the air out of the hospital room. He sucked in deep breaths, trying to compose himself in front of Kate.

'Bad dream, bad dream,' Castle gasped out an explanation.

'Rick,... what exactly did you have to decide about Oliver?' Kate asked, and Castle looked at her, surprised.

'You were talking in your sleep: "_why are they making me decide about the life of our baby?"_' Kate told him with a frown. 'Rick, what happened after I passed out?'

_A/N: Not much of a cliffhanger, but we'll get to see what decision did Castle have to make in the previous chapter. I hope that you all like this chapter, and don't mind that it is not action packed, but I really wanted a chapter dedicated to some time between them. I know that there's very little Alexis in this chapter, but I promise, she will be in the next one, and she will get to have some bonding time with little Oliver._

_As usual, PLEASE REVIEW! Criticisms are much appreciated, but no flamers please._

_This chapter is dedicated to __**Bianca tabbycat**__ for being a most wonderful beta, and to my baby cousin Oliver, who begged me to name a character in this story after him, so this is for you, baby boy._

_Zoe tabbycat _


	26. Chapter 26

Kidnapped Ch.26

'… _We need you to make a decision now…' _

The doctor's voice echoed through his mind, and he shook his head quickly, hoping to get rid of that particular memory. It had been one of the worst times of his life, and he never, ever wanted to go through that again.

'Rick, please tell me what happened?' Kate asked pleadingly, her hazel eyes glazing straight into his. She was a strong woman, and always wanted to be in control of her own life. Not knowing something crucial to herself frustrated her greatly, and Castle knew that she would never let this go.

'Kate, it wasn't anything important,' Castle tried to persuade her desperately, trying to steer her away from the topic, but Kate was undeterred.

'Richard Castle, I've known you for more than six years. I know you inside out, and that expression tells me that it _was _something important,' Kate told him, sternly, but then her voice softened. 'You know you can tell me anything, right?'

'I know,' Castle answered. He looked around the room in an attempt to avoid Kate's beseeching eyes, suddenly craving the image of his son lying peacefully in his bassinet, but he was nowhere in sight. 'Where's Oliver?'

'Rick, you've been asleep for more than four hours. The nurses took him back to the nursery, and Alexis had gone home already,' Kate answered softly. 'Rick, please, tell me what happened. Let me help you.'

'You can't help,' Rick told her, his voice thick with unspoken emotions, as he pulled her close and inhaled her unique cherry scent under the odor of hospital disinfectant. He could feel his heartbeat slowing down and his mind clearing.

'When I told you everything that happened… during the kidnapping, it helped me, Rick. You were my rock and you kept me safe. Let me help you now,' Kate implored, and Rick could feel his shirt getting damp as tears started rolling out of the corners of her eyes.

'The doctors… they told me to choose between your life and our baby's life.'

* * *

'_Your wife has had chest surgery before, hadn't she?' the doctor asked, and he nodded. It was a sensitive topic between them, and they always tried to avoid talking about her shooting, lest it made her uncomfortable._

'_That was a very long time ago, and she made a full recovery,' Castle told her, frowning. 'Why do you ask?'_

'_Generally speaking, her surgery should not have much of an effect on her, but unfortunately, her heart is weak –' the doctor started, but Castle cut her off._

'_She's just as fit as she was before surgery. She runs all the time, and her heart is fine,' Castle protested._

'_I'm aware of that, Mr. Castle. However, she is pregnant. Her heart has to work harder than before in order to compensate for the foetus at the moment. Add on the injury to her head…' The doctor tightened her lips, and shook her head. 'Her heart is under a tremendous amount of stress, and may give out at any given moment,' the doctor told him awkwardly. Castle closed his eyes for a moment, trying to get his bearings._

'_What are you telling me here?' Castle asked slowly, and the doctor hesitated before answering._

'_I know that this sounds inhumane, Mr. Castle, but I'm asking you to choose between your wife and your child. In order to save your wife, we will have to deliver the child now, through a C-section,' the doctor told him._

'_Are you saying my child will die if you do the C-section?' Caste's pitch rose with his anxiety, and the doctor shook her head._

'_I'm not saying that, Mr. Castle, but you have to be prepared for that possibility. She is only 29 weeks old, and the baby is rather premature. It greatly depends on the foetus. Generally, the survival rate of premature babies at 29 weeks is relatively high, but the ultrasound shows that your baby is a little smaller than usual,' the doctor said gently._

'_I can't choose between them,' Castle whispered. 'I need them both.'_

'_I know it's hard, but we need you to make your decision now. Your wife's heart is dangerously weak right now, and if we leave this too long, both of them can die,' the doctor answered, looking sympathetic to his dilemma._

_Glancing towards the curtained room where Kate was, he finally made up his mind._

'_Save my wife. __Deliver the baby, doctor, but please, do your best to keep them both alive and well,' Castle muttered. He felt so numb and detached, as if someone had taken over his body and made the decision for him._

'_We'll do our best,' she told him, placing a hand gently on his arm before hurrying away, already retying her mask._

* * *

She sat next to the plastic box which Oliver was in. Since he could latch onto Kate, the feeding tube was removed, so there were no longer any tubes protruding out of his nose. Despite being small for his age, he could breathe well on his own.

Her index finger gently traced along the amazingly soft skin of her little brother, and the corner of her lips twitched up into a smile automatically. Oliver's tiny fists clutched at hers as he wriggled slightly, and opened his eyes. No matter how many times she had seen it, she doubt that she would ever be tired of those beautiful eyes.

He had the most gorgeous hazel eyes that simply radiated comfort. Large and almond shaped, he had the exact same eyes as Kate Beckett. Alexis could already see him rolling his eyes in the 'Beckett manner', as she had nicknamed it.

He stared at Alexis for a while, his eyes never wavering and his tiny mouth pulled up to form a tiny smile. Alexis knew that he could not see her properly yet, but she could not help but feel proud that she now had her own special smile from her little brother.

'Hello, Ollie,' Alexis whispered softly to him, a glowing warmth in her chest. She picked up the fuzzy teddy bear at the side of the box, and touched it to his nose. He scrunched his nose up, causing Alexis to chuckle.

Placing the bear back down, she sat down back next to the plastic box as Oliver let out a large yawn. It was getting late, and her grandmother would be getting worried. Blowing him a small kiss, she left the room as she headed to bid goodbye to her parents.

'Dad? Kate?' Alexis called as she walked into the room. She stopped abruptly at the doorway. There, sitting on the bed, was Kate weeping silently, while her father was nowhere to be seen.

_A/N: Oh boy, two chapters with no cliffhangers? What is going on with me? I'll admit it, I'm exhausted. Medication, you gotta love them. I got over the asthma, and I was like yay, no more medication, and BOOM! I somehow managed to hurt my knee without knowing, and since I have to walk around all day long, painkillers are now a large part of my day…_

_However, enough of that. Most importantly, as usual, PLEASE REVIEW! Criticisms are much appreciated, but no flamers please._

_This chapter is dedicated to __**Bianca tabbycat**__ for being the most awesome beta ever._

_Zoe tabbycat_


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